The Rogue Ninja
by emjsmal
Summary: Kakashi have a mission and that is to kill a rogue ninja but will he do it?
1. Chapter 1

Ta ta ta ta ta. A bird tapping at a window. Kakashi closed his eyes and pulled his shuriken printed bedsheets over his head. The tapping continued. Insistently. The silver haired shinobi rolled over and glanced outside with half-lidded eye. It was a direct summons from the Hokage no less. Ah well. He hadn't been sleeping anyway.

The Third looked up from his desk, eyes peering from behind his paperwork as the ANBU materialised before him. Such an elegant teleportation. It was so easy to appreciate how this shinobi had been a student of the Fourth. The Third laid down his pipe and smiled at the ninja standing before him.

"Ah, Kakashi," the Hokage greeted him.

Kakashi bristled slightly. He was ANBU. He was wearing his standard issue uniform, grey and black armour, metal arm guards and porcelain dog mask concealing his face. But it was impossible to disguise his distinctive hair. The Hokage always called him 'Kakashi' rather than use his codename.

"Good afternoon Hokage sama," he responded politely.

The Third smiled and gestured for the ANBU to sit. Kakashi shook his head briefly, almost indiscernibly, and remained standing.

Sarutobi took an interest in all Leaf shinobi, but had some favourites and those he had a special concern for. Younger shinobi, those who had had particularly tough childhoods, those who had lost their parents. And those who were the disciples of his disciples. It pleased him enormously to observe how they were developing and was always incredibly proud that his values and the values of those before him had passed down from generation to generation: Jiraiya, Minato, Kakashi – they all carried the Will of Fire in their souls.

Although the ANBU was not aware of it, the Third had made a point of following his career very closely. Sarutobi felt deeply for Kakashi. He had always felt terribly guilty that he had not been able to prevent Sakumo's suicide. He was enormously impressed that the White Fang's son had gone through a huge amount of personal trauma at such a young age but had remained dedicated to his role and was clearly going to become a shinobi of great prowess, probably the best of his generation. The silver-haired young man hadn't really noticed it yet, but the Hokage knew very well that the ninja standing before him, just barely into his twenties, was already developing a fearsome reputation both in the village as well as the wider shinobi world. He had a feeling that this young man would probably become more famous than his father.

"How are you Kakashi?" the Third asked in a gentle tone.

"I am fine, thank you, Hokage sama," he replied impassively.

Professional. Kakashi was always professional.

Kakashi wasn't fine. He was about as far from fine as it was possible to be. He had heard the news about Rin just days ago. She had been killed, returning from a mission which she had completed successfully. But she had run into some enemy ninja on her return and, despite her putting up a tremendous fight, she had not only been defeated, she had been tortured, eventually dying from her wounds. She had apparently suffered horribly. It made Kakashi feel sick just thinking about it.

And then there was one.

Team Minato, a team of extraordinary talent and proficiency, reduced to a single shinobi. Kakashi.

The Hokage continued, "I have a mission for you. I am sorry to have to give this to you so soon, but we are very stretched at the moment."

Kakashi nodded. The Third's tone of voice became more sombre.

"I am afraid that we have a Leaf ninja turn rogue. A chuunin team were sent out to complete a mission and only three shinobi from the four man cell returned. They had barely made it back alive. Their mission report gave me cause for deep concern. The other chuunin, the cell leader, has defected to Iwagakure. He was entrusted with important information concerning Konoha and now represents a significant security risk."

Iwagakure? The village that had fought against Konoha more than any other.

Sarutobi handed Kakashi the file. The ANBU opened it and studied the contents of the report intently.

"So this is an assassination mission?"

"I'm afraid so." The Hokage couldn't suppress a sigh. "I am sorry to say that I had high hopes for this shinobi, but he has let the village down. Maybe this mission was just too much for him, it was his first as a cell leader. He is young and inexperienced, but I always considered him loyal."

"His name?"

"Umino Iruka."

Kakashi shrugged. The name didn't mean anything to him. But he noticed an almost imperceptible wavering in the Hokage's voice as he spoke the chuunin's name. He looked up to observe the village leader.

The Third was a compassionate man. It was impossible to describe how desperately disappointed he was that this had happened. He had worked so hard to comfort the teenager after the death of his parents. So many youngsters had suffered after the Nine Tails' attack but no one had needed support more than this sensitive young man. The Hokage had had plans for this chuunin's future but he needed him to have completed a number of missions as a leader before he could offer him the job he felt he would be best suited for.

Such a shame. The Hokage shook his head wistfully and beckoned for Kakashi to depart. The ANBU bowed respectfully and promptly vanished.

The Third sat back in his chair and re-lit his pipe, puffing gently as the clouds of bluish smoke billowing around him. He sat back in his chair and stroked his goatee beard with a heavy heart as he looked out across the village.

Such a shame.

Early the following morning, Kakashi prepared for the mission. Standard issue ANBU gear, plus light travelling clothes in case a civilian disguise should be needed. This task wasn't going to be difficult, the rogue was a chuunin and a young one at that. Well, eighteen wasn't that young, most of Kakashi's contemporaries had made chuunin rank well before their teens, a necessity of fighting in a great war. This Leaf ninja was clearly inexperienced and had probably exercised poor judgement, most likely under duress, a decision that would cost him his life. The rules were simple: if you defect, you should expect to die.

Kakashi didn't enjoy assassination missions. If he had to kill in the heat of battle or during a one-on-one combat, he could justify to himself that at least it was in the defence of himself or his comrades. Cold-blooded assassination was far more difficult to reconcile. But he was professional. Always professional.

Before he left Konoha, he made his way to the memorial stone. He knew that this visit was going to be particularly difficult. Harder than ever. It was a cool morning, overcast and grey, with a light mist gently rising from the dewy grass of the commemorative garden, swirling around the stone itself. Kakashi's dark mood matched the atmosphere, it was almost as though the climate was commiserating with him.

When Kakashi reached the memorial he saw it for the first time. Rin's name, freshly carved. He bowed deeply to offer his respects, then leaned forward and softly traced his fingertips over the shape of the carving, following the simple, angular katakana which spelled out her name, signified her legacy. The edges of the characters were still sharp from the stonemason's chisel and Kakashi nicked his finger as it brushed over the characters. So new that the words cut into the obsidian stone had not been tempered and smoothed by the wind and rain.

His fingertips then moved across the memorial to another name, this one all too familiar.

Uchiha Obito.

Every day he had spent in Konoha since his friend's death he had made a point of visiting the stone to pay tribute to Obito's courage but – more importantly - to apologise to him. Every day he spoke the same words to a ghost, words he had should have told his comrade when he had had the chance. He'd been such an idiot to have argued with his best friend and shamed his own father.

So much regret. So much pain.

And finally he turned his thoughts to the last name he had been seeking that was spelled out on that stone - his sensei, Minato.

Minato had been like a second father to him. He had been an inspiration. He was the one person in the world who had truly understood his eccentric genius student. Kakashi missed Minato so much it hurt. He had always had a huge amount of admiration for his teacher because he felt that the Fourth was a rarity in the shinobi world – one who had truly known joy and what it was to be happy. More than anything, he missed his former sensei's smile. He always tried to smile beneath his mask as he paid tribute to his teacher, hoping amongst hope that he might find true happiness one day.

As he studied the names on the stone, his eye caught sight of another two – names that had previously not meant anything to him: those of Umino Kaigara and Umino Jima. Their names were carved close to the Fourth's, close enough for Kakashi to surmise that they too had probably been killed by the demon fox. That rogue chuunin had been through a rough time, losing both parents that evening.

But what Leaf shinobi hadn't lost someone they loved?

Kakashi cast his mind back to the events of that dreadful night. He, Rin, Kurenai, Asuma and Gai had been obliged to shelter from the monster as it unleashed its deadly chakra on an unwitting and unprepared village. None of the teenage shinobi had wanted to comply with the order, they were all ready and willing to fight. But Kurenai's father had insisted that they remain protected. He had been right in his judgement. Too many shinobi died that night. The village needed their generation of experienced ninja to stay safe and ensure the survival of Konoha itself.

It was like the sky was on fire. Not a gentle glow of a warm and awe-inspiring sunset, but hideous shades of crimson and scarlet, raging with hatred and fury, as the massive tails of the demon swirled and whipped across the village, decimating everything they came into contact with. It was as though the whole of Konoha was ablaze, and nothing could escape the power of the mighty chakra that was composed entirely of venom and wrath.

And the noise was unbearable. So loud and formidable and utterly relentless. Anyone who was there at the time remembers most the screams amidst the howling and roaring of the beast as it unleashed its violent vengeance upon the village.

The silence. That was the worst. When Minato had finally managed to seal the creature away, at the expense of his own life, the whole of Konoha fell quiet. A hushed stillness overwhelmed the village as the community tried to take in the enormity of the events that evening. People were too shocked even to cry.

Kakashi's thoughts returned to the Umino couple. Maybe it wasn't so surprising that their kid had turned rogue. It must have been difficult for anyone to lose a relative that night, let alone both parents. Shinobi life was tough and it was violent. Many, many ninja had suffered serious emotional problems from the pain and suffering they had witnessed during their lifetimes.

Kakashi was ready to leave for his mission and walked through the village clad in his ANBU gear towards the gates of Konoha. The village was bustling and busy. He passed a group of pre-genin on their way to the Academy. Two little girls, one pink-haired, one blonde, skipping together hand in hand, carrying bunches of flowers for their teachers. The boys were fighting and bickering. One blond kid, dressed in orange, was leaping about with all the energy of a firecracker, trying to get a rise out of anyone who would pay him any attention at all. Everyone shunned him. Following them was a dark haired boy, who wore the Uchiha crest on the back of his shirt. He had a serious expression and was doing his level best to ignore all the other children in his class. Bringing up the rear were a chubby boy and a slouching slacker kid, neither of whom looked as though their hearts were really in it. As Kakashi walked past them, all the children turned to stare at him, eyes wide and mouths dropping open as they witnessed the sight of a real Konoha ANBU passing by. Kakashi raised an eyebrow and grinned underneath his masks. He had already completed several missions by the time he was their age.

As Kakashi progressed along the main street he noticed out of the corner of his eye that he was being pursued, with no degree of subtlety, by someone very green indeed.

"Ah, my rival! I wanted to see you before you left!"

Kakashi exhaled slowly and walked on. He was supposed to be anonymous.

The Green Beast caught up with his friend. Kakashi ignored him.

Good old dependable Gai. The most enthusiastic ninja in the village, optimist extraordinaire and all round good guy. Kakashi liked Gai very much but couldn't help himself – his friend was just so easy to wind up.

"My rivaaaaaal!"

The ANBU walked on. He only bothered to turn around casually when Gai caught up with him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Ah. Did you say something?"

Gai looked frustrated. "Oh, so cool. Always so cool. How do you do it?"

Kakashi grinned underneath his mask but adopted a stern tone of voice.

"I am ANBU, Gai. You are supposed to refer to me using my codename."

"Ah yes, my friend. But everyone in the village knows it's you. You're becoming quite the celebrity."

Kakashi rolled his eyes but Gai didn't see his disdain, hidden as it was behind the porcelain mask. He remained cool. "Did you want something Gai? I am just about to leave for a mission to Iwagakure."

Kakashi could feel his rival radiating enthusiasm and zeal right at him. "I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed sparring with you last week. I am determined to win next time though. Are you interested in partaking of another challenge soon?"

"I don't think so, Gai."

"But I was just learning how to take you on when we battled with your sharingan activated. I've worked it all out. I'm convinced my superior taijutsu can beat you next time!"

Kakashi sighed. He was unlikely to be able to talk his way out of a rematch. If nothing else, Gai was persistent. He sighed, trying not to convey any sense of enthusiasm at all. "Maybe when I get back? I have a long journey."

"A-ha! See if you can beat my record. It's a three day journey but I have completed it in two days, 17 hours and 16 minutes. Do you think you can possibly beat me?"

"You can be sure I'll give it a go," replied Kakashi, having no intention of doing such a thing.

"Well," the Green Beast slapped Kakashi on the back, "I wish you well, my friend. Be safe. And I await our next challenge with eager anticipation."

His target was apparently located in a village outside Iwagakure, which was three days' run away. He might as well view the journey as a training exercise, a good opportunity to push himself and test his stamina. Kakashi passed through the gates of Konoha then leapt into the forest canopy. As he flew through the treetops he had plenty of time to contemplate the events of the previous few days.

Rin.

How could she have died? How could she have left him? They had become very close over the years and he had really loved her. Not as a lover or a girlfriend, but as a sister, a best friend and confidant. They had grown up together, child soldiers in a hideous and vicious war. They had lost their team mate, their friend, who had willingly given up his life for them.

He'd heard her that time. Just after Obito had died and Kakashi had told her that their fallen comrade had been in love with her. He was so direct when he was younger - too direct – and shockingly unaware of how to talk about feelings or emotions. She'd taken the opportunity to try to express her love for Kakashi but they didn't get to discuss it before the team had had to complete the mission. He already knew how she felt about him, had known for a long time. But he didn't acknowledge her. He couldn't. She didn't raise the subject again.

But their friendship flourished. After they lost Minato to the Nine Tails, Rin became the person Kakashi trusted most, the only person he would allow himself to be close to. Of course, they were both good friends with all the jounin of their generation and trusted them absolutely as comrades, but Rin was the only person to whom Kakashi could express his innermost thoughts and deepest feelings. And she accepted that.

He truly cared for Rin, but he could never love her as she had wanted him to love her. He had tried. Tried to be attracted to her. Tried to imagine himself marrying her and maybe even having kids with her. He trusted her, he loved her company, she was the closest person to him. And yet… And yet there was something inside him that couldn't let him love her that way.

And now she was gone. Why hadn't he been allowed to join her on that mission? They were a great team. He would have protected her. How could such a talented kunoichi have fallen prey to what appeared to be – by all accounts – a vicious bunch of bandits?

Kakashi was flying as he leapt across the treetops through the forest. His muscles were aching and yet he pushed himself harder; he was building up a significant sweat and feeling that at least he was getting a good workout. He would make it to the village where the rogue was hiding out almost a day early.

Shame he hadn't taken up Gai's challenge – he'd have smashed the Green Beast's record.

He pushed himself harder. To go faster. Faster. That would extinguish some of the pain that was buried inside his heart, pain that desperate to break out and tear his soul apart. Pain that he needed to keep concealed within him.

As he passed through into the Land of Earth and on to Iwagakure the landscape began to change. It almost helped that the terrain was becoming more challenging –treacherous mountain paths, deadly precipices, slippery waterfalls – these all made the journey more interesting and demanding. Yeah, he'd beat Gai's record with ease.

Kakashi arrived at the village where the rogue was supposed to be hiding out much earlier, as expected. He needed to locate the chuunin and dispatch him. But it wasn't going to be that easy. If Umino Iruka had really defected it was likely that he was now under the protection of the local shinobi, just ready to spill Konoha's secrets to them, if he hadn't done so already.

Before entering the village Kakashi had removed his porcelain dog mask and put some civilian clothes over his skin-tight ANBU uniform, just a loose fitting hooded shirt and a scarf round his neck, which concealed his face. No one would mess with an ANBU on his journey, but he needed to look as inconspicuous as possible while checking out the locale.

It was a small village, not much more than a suburb of Iwagakure but nevertheless was of a similar construction to all Earth towns – tall buildings hewn from the naturally hilly environment. This village was not as grand as Iwa itself but it clearly had distinct zones populated by different classes of people. The affluent areas were located towards the top of the mountains, the homes of the aristocracy with their conical roofs reaching for the sky, their dwellings linked to their neighbours by a criss-cross of bridges that kept the genteel citizens away from the riff-raff below.

The lower class areas were to be found at ground level. A completely different society of scumbags and sleazeballs populated that particular district.

Kakashi headed to the lower class neighbourhood. Iwagakure shinobi were a rough bunch, very dedicated and always military minded. Fight first, ask questions later was their philosophy. Ground level was very different to Konoha. It was darker for one thing, the dominance of the upper class dwellings blocking out much of the light to the denizens below. The town itself was sleazy. It didn't have the bustling atmosphere of Konoha and the civilian residents seemed subdued, almost withdrawn. Kakashi strolled along the main street, taking in the layout of the village as well as trying to identify the most likely place to locate his target. It wasn't too difficult to establish where the local ninja would be found. Kakashi entered the bar that he felt looked like it harboured the most undesirable bunch of characters.

The bar stank of stale beer and cigarettes. It was dimly lit and the floor felt sticky underneath Kakashi's sandals; it squelched as he walked into the main drinking area. It clearly hadn't been cleaned in ages and Kakashi hoped that whatever liquid had spilled had been of an alcoholic nature rather than, well, he really didn't want to contemplate what else it might be. The place was shabby, the furniture worn and frayed. It looked like the local gangs met up there to drink and fight.

Kakashi walked to the dingy room and surveyed his surroundings quickly. He ordered a soft drink and then sat at the bar on a stool, hunched over his juice, with his back to the other punters. The rear wall of the bar itself was mirrored, with various bottles of grog mounted in front of it, which allowed Kakashi to study the assembled denizens by observing at their reflections. It was an effective way to gauge who was in that bar, and how much of a threat they might pose, without raising suspicion.

There was a group of young men sitting in the corner, obviously shinobi. They were a bit of a rowdy bunch, and it appeared as though they had been there all afternoon, slowly getting sozzled. Kakashi observed them for a few moments. They were potentially the most dangerous people in there and the ANBU needed to make an assessment of how he might take them on and escape if they took an irrational dislike to a stranger and things got rough. And then he noticed. Sitting among them was a young man looking distinctly out of place. Almost nervous. He was clearly pretending to join in with their banter, but although he was smiling with his mouth, his eyes looked solemn, almost sad. Kakashi observed the man for a while. He looked uncomfortable and was constantly looking around him, anxious and troubled.

He turned his head and, as he did so, what sunlight had managed to filter through the filthy window of the bar shone a ray of light across his face. Kakashi recognised it immediately. That nose. With a horizontal scar running right across the young man's face. There was no doubt about it. That was his target.

A few moments later, the young man got up and took his leave of the people he'd been sitting with, waving to them as he walked out of the bar into the alleyway. Kakashi decided to pursue. After he'd left the building he discarded his civvies to reveal his slimline ANBU outfit. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his dog mask and put it on. He drew a kunai knife and silently stalked the chuunin as he walked down a quiet alley.

The target eventually sensed that he was being followed so slowed his pace and started to turn around, but the ANBU was already upon him, kunai at his throat.

"You are Umino Iruka?"

The chuunin nodded, his eyes flashing with defiance as he stared directly into the face of his assassin. He immediately recognised his assailant as Konoha ANBU. He knew what was to come.

Kakashi spoke in a soft, firm voice. There was no menace and not a trace of malice but he was very clear about his intentions. He remained as impassive and professional as possible. "You have defected from Konoha and have been designated a rogue ninja. You are a traitor. I have orders to kill you."


	2. The Dread of Something After Death

Chapter 2

Defiant. The chuunin was defiant. He glared at his assassin, his expression courageous. He was absolutely ready for whatever was to come. Yes, he was even prepared for death.

Kakashi observed the young man. For all his bravura the chuunin looked sincere. For the first time in his life, the ANBU questioned what he had been asked to do.

"Do you have any last words?" Kakashi's tone was neutral, bordering on cold. It was the first time he had ever asked that question on an assassination mission and wondered why he had even bothered to speak to his target. He was professional. Complete the job and get back home, that was the rule.

But the rogue was assertive. He was going to speak. His wide brown eyes looked directly at his assassin and he spoke with a resolute tone.

"I know this won't do anything to change your mind, but I will die with a clear conscience. I had to abandon the mission to save my comrades."

Had to abandon the mission to save my comrades.

Those words hung in the air like acrid smoke from a smouldering fire that had not quite been extinguished, swirling around Kakashi's head for what seemed like an interminable length of time. He almost choked on them. They filtered into his heart and permeated his soul.

The ANBU hesitated. He had to make a judgement and make it quick. He knew that this rogue's new associates would probably be leaving the bar soon and taking on a bunch of drunken Iwagakure shinobi could be very dangerous. But there was something about the chuunin and the words he spoke that made Kakashi want to give him a chance. His voice was low and dangerous as he stated very clearly.

"You have exactly 30 seconds to explain to me why I shouldn't kill you."

The chuunin glanced down the alley in the direction of the bar before responding, "And you have exactly three seconds to get the hell out of here before that sensory ninja over there starts draining your cha..."

Shit. Too late.

It all happened so quickly. Kakashi looked back and spotted Iruka's group of shinobi emerging from the bar. He saw them point at him, recognising that something untoward was happening, and then started running towards the Konoha pair.

They were a motley bunch, six in total, and all wearing standard issue uniforms with distinctive Iwa hitae-ate. The shinobi were all thin and scrawny and none more senior than chuunin rank, except for one. Leading the pack was a bulky ninja, clearly the leader of the gang. He was tall, taller than Kakashi, bald and bare-chested, broad and thick set, the muscles in his arms rippling as he advanced quickly towards the pair. Kakashi realised that this was the one he would have to take on first, so started to observe him carefully to gauge exactly how he could challenge this shinobi. The very first thing he noticed was that this guy had very unusual eyes. They were completely black. No irises, no pupils, no sclera. They didn't reflect light, they absorbed everything they looked upon.

The bulky ninja ran towards the Konoha ANBU, raising one of his arms as he did so. It was as thick as Kakashi's thigh. He continued his advance towards the Konoha pair. He pointed his fingers at Kakashi and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply and concentrating hard. The shinobi behind him were muttering and sniggering. They had clearly seen this line of attack before and realised that the Konoha ANBU was pretty much doomed. The enemy ninja opened his eyes. No longer were they black, they sparkled like flashing diamonds reflected in a million mirrors.

Suddenly Kakashi's whole body felt like lead, as though his energy was literally being sucked out of him. His limbs were heavy and sluggish and his head hurt, as though it was being crushed in a vice. It was like he had just contracted the worst case of flu he'd ever had.

Time to leave. He opened the sharingan. It was black and the tomoe were completely deactivated. He couldn't see a thing with that eye. What the hell was happening to him? Umino had been right. It felt as though his chakra was being drawn from him and there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it.

Both Leaf shinobi looked at the advancing crowd. Their attackers' expressions were becoming increasingly sinister. The pack dispersed slightly to get into a battle formation. They were all extremely casual and laid back about it by now. They had all the time in the world to attack this shinobi who was being drained of his chakra. No ninjutsu to challenge them? They could take their time. Prolong the pain. How dare a Leaf ninja walk into their town to carry out Konoha business on their turf?

Kakashi looked behind him briefly. The alley had a dead end. Usually he would have been able to teleport away or scale the walls of the buildings to make an escape. But the tall structures built in typical Iwagakure style either side of the passage would make climbing without the assistance of chakra extremely difficult, especially if they were being pursued. They were screwed.

He stared at Iruka. The chuunin met his gaze with his expressive eyes. Kakashi was a good judge of character and he honestly thought that this guy seemed genuine. Maybe the Third had been correct in his initial assessment of the young man; Kakashi had noticed how saddened Sarutobi had been at the turn of events as stated in the mission report.

Kakashi pulled his ANBU mask off and threw it to the floor. Right now he was on the verge of being attacked, his sharingan wasn't functioning at all which meant that he was partially blind. The mask represented nothing but a hazard to him. He needed as much peripheral vision as he could get.

A million thoughts began whirring through his mind. Evaluating how to get out of this mess, how he was possibly going to survive.

Kakashi had to make a call. "Can I trust you?"

Iruka shrugged. "Doesn't look like you have much choice."

It was true. Kakashi was in serious danger. He could have escaped on his own but something inside him wanted to find out more about this Umino character. He liked his spirit. For some reason Kakashi felt that he wanted to find out whether he could be vindicated. Would he prove to be trustworthy? Who could say, he was officially a rogue. But the ANBU's instincts were usually sound and right now he represented their best hope of getting out of this filthy town alive.

He glanced across at the advancing enemy. They were a motley bunch and under normal circumstances he would have been able to take all of them on without difficulty. With serious chakra depletion, however, he was pretty much standing prey to them.

He had to try to gauge the level of their aggression towards the 'newest' member of their gang. Did they trust Umino enough to let him go or would they attack him as well? He glanced across at the chuunin briefly. He had a pained expression. Kakashi then looked back at the Iwa shinobi. Yes, the large ninja was now focussing on the chuunin, sparkling eyes sucking up his energy. Shit. They didn't trust him at all, Iruka's chakra was being drained as well.

The enemies' pace picked up. Two of the skinny chuunin, who looked like a pair of weasels with beady eyes and pointed faces, emerged from behind the bulky ninja, each pulling out a kunai knife which they aimed at the Konoha shinobi.

Shoom! Shoom!

One was aimed directly at Kakashi, the other at Umino, but it was clear that the chuunin's stamina was already dwindling, he was looking slightly dazed and wasn't going to be able to get out of the way in time. Kakashi's adrenaline kicked in, it was going to be the only thing that had a hope of saving them.

With an almighty effort Kakashi turned and pushed Iruka out of the way, raising his arm as he did so to catch the kunai that had been aimed at him. But he wasn't quick enough to catch both. The knife intended for Iruka hit him directly in the back, close to the shoulder blade, piercing his flesh. It hurt like hell. He chucked the knife he had just caught to the ground then reached around and pulled other from his back. The wound stung like a hundred wasp stings, sharp and intense and incredibly painful.

This was getting serious. They had to get out of there. "Are you okay, Umino?"

"Yes. Thanks." The chuunin looked a little dazed. He hadn't expected his assassin to save him. Why would he do that?

"Do you know a way to get us both out of here?"

Iruka looked down, looked up and grinned. "I can get us out of here right now, ANBU san."

Kakashi scowled. He'd just taken a kunai in the back for this traitor. "Get on with it then."

"Never underestimate the potential of a manhole cover."

If his shoulder wasn't hurting like hell and his body feeling as though it had been drained of strength, Kakashi would have been impressed. He didn't know that the chuunin had become a serious prankster in the years after his parents had been killed. He had craved love and attention and just wasn't able to find it anywhere. It seemed to him that the best way to make people notice him was to annoy them intensely. It worked. But it had also resulted in him having developed a more unconventional approach to battle tactics. The first rule was always to find an escape route. For instance, he knew the Konoha sewer system better than any of the technicians who maintained it. Often the most useful getaway method after he'd successfully completed a particularly irritating prank. A touch smelly perhaps, but effective nevertheless.

Pulling together all the physical energy he had left, Kakashi lifted the lid with an enormous effort, and beckoned for Iruka to leap inside. The chuunin hesitated momentarily to consider his best course of action – to stay or to go – decided quickly, then jumped. Or rather plummeted, with far less grace than he had hoped to demonstrate. Kakashi scooped up his ANBU mask from the floor then, using all the energy he could muster, picked up the manhole cover and hurled it at the bulky ninja's head before jumping inside the sewer, pushing his target to move on. The pair fled through the filthy drain system, following the direction of the water flow, aiming to get out of that town as soon as they could. Eventually they reached the end of the tunnel where the water flowed into a local river.

They ran. As fast as they were able. They had to break away from their pursuers. Kakashi's shoulder hurt like hell, but he had no choice other than to push himself onwards, to use whatever physical energy his body had managed to retain. He didn't have enough chakra to perform any sort of jutsu. Iruka wasn't as fast as the ANBU and didn't have as much stamina but he showed determination and grit and was utterly resolved to keep up with Kakashi's pace.

But where to go? Kakashi had to think on the run. They couldn't return to Konoha. He had just disobeyed a direct order and failed to kill a rogue ninja. That meant that he was now effectively rogue himself.

He cast his mind back to his boyhood days when Team Minato had penetrated deep into Iwagakuare territory during the Third Great Shinobi War.

And then it struck him. He knew of the perfect place to hide out, a place where they could be safe for the time being.

Where they could figure things out.

It would be a couple of hours' journey before they reached the Northern coast of Earth Country. The terrain was very different to Konoha, no shady forests to hide in; instead the land was undulating, often steep, often treacherous and always exposed to the elements. The blistering sun beat down upon them but they carried on relentlessly.

An hour or so into their escape Kakashi was beginning to feel really ill. He forged on though, assuming that it was the effect of the chakra drain. They had to get away. But he was starting to sweat profusely and was feeling nauseous.

Both he and Iruka had constantly been checking behind them to see if they were being pursued. But it seemed as though those shinobi had been drinking far too much earlier in the day to bother. Who'd want to leap into a stinking sewer if they didn't have to?

Eventually Kakashi decided that they could afford to slow the pace. He was feeling horrible and needed to rest. He opened the sharingan eye. He could see nothing but blackness. Still not enough chakra. He was functioning on adrenaline and willpower alone it seemed. He was exhausted.

Another hour later as the pair approached their destination the weather became cloudier and air somehow seemed fresher and cooler. The starkness of Earth's desolate landscape gradually gave way to a more lush environment with vegetation and small trees dotting the landscape. It was clear that they were close to the sea. Iruka had followed Kakashi but had had no idea where they were going or why he was even joining this assassin.

Eventually Kakashi stopped. He stood upright to fill his lungs with the fresher air. A cool breeze rolled in from the ocean. The scent of the sea surrounded them: brine and salt and seaweed. They had reached the northern coast. Kakashi led Iruka to the very edge of a cliff and they both looked down. A sea mist prevented them from viewing the beach below.

"Yes, this is the place," declared the ANBU, nodding in confirmation to himself that he had remembered the route well. He turned to face Iruka. "So. You've followed me here and now I'm going to ask you to – quite literally – take a leap of faith."

"You're expecting me to jump off that cliff?"

"Yeah."

"Is this your idea of a joke? Can't quite face killing me yourself, so you're going to arrange it to look like an accident?" Iruka could feel his temper rising, forgetting temporarily that the ANBU had saved his life just a couple of hours ago.

Kakashi rolled his eyes but remained calm. Seemed as though this rogue was pretty highly strung. "If I was going to kill you, I'd have done it by now and got the hell back to Konoha. For some reason that I can't yet fathom out myself, I have a feeling that you deserve a second chance. That's putting me in the shit because I've now failed to complete my mission so we're probably both fucked."

Iruka looked fierce. He considered himself to be utterly loyal to Konoha and had done what he had done for a reason. He had been willing to take the consequences for his actions. So he didn't really take very kindly to this ANBU's patronising tone, even if he had decided not to assassinate him. For now.

Kakashi continued. His countenance was ashen, whiter than his normally pale complexion, and his breathing was becoming slightly ragged as he fought to get oxygen into his heaving lungs. "I know this area from my fighting days during the war. There is a perfect place to hide out at the foot of this cliff. There we can figure out what to do. That's if I don't die first from whatever poison that Iwa ninja had coated his kunai with."

"You've been poisoned?"

"Do you think I'm always this slow?"

Iruka didn't know what to think. He'd been pushing himself really hard just to keep up with the elite shinobi. He'd known that the chakra drain would make the going particularly tough for them both because they were relying solely on any physical energy they had managed to retain, but hadn't realised that the ANBU was suffering from an additional ailment. Kami, this guy was really good.

Kakashi pulled down his mask and threw up on the ground, his exhausted body heaving and retching, as it tried to expel whatever was making him sick. He felt slightly better as he wiped his mouth and replaced his mask. Iruka contemplated the drop below. He couldn't actually see the bottom of the cliff. Or indeed anything except a couple of metres of the cliff edge. The whole area was shrouded in a sea mist.

"Trust me. If you jump you will land on a ledge just a few metres below. From there you will find a pathway down the cliff side which leads to the beach. There's a cave we can shelter in for a few days."

The chuunin hesitated. Kakashi shrugged and jumped. Iruka watched him disappear into the swirling mist below. The chuunin paused for a second. Hell, who wants to live forever? He took a run and hurled himself off the cliff. Adrenaline kicked in again and it seemed as though – just for a split second – he was suspended in mid-air before gravity took hold and pulled him inexorably downwards. As the ANBU had predicted there was indeed a ledge below, but Iruka hadn't realised that it was actually quite narrow. He tried to land gracefully but ended up far too close to the edge. He could feel his feet start to slip and he started flailing his arm as he tried to maintain his balance. Shit. Maybe this really was it. He could feel himself beginning to fall as the loose rocks on the edge of the ledge began to crumble beneath his feet, small shards of stone coming away from the periphery. The mist was still dense so he couldn't see how far he was likely to tumble but...

...a strong gloved hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him in quickly, right towards the wall of the cliff. He leaned against the rock for a few moments to compose himself and catch his breath, then followed as Kakashi beckoned him towards a path. The route down to the beach was relatively easy after the initial jump, although the path wasn't terribly well maintained, but it took them just a few minutes to descend. By the time they reached the bottom the swirling mist was clearing slightly and Iruka had a chance to survey the area.

It was a beautiful beach, surrounded by cliffs as far as the eye could see and totally secluded. It was a combination of rocky and sandy, with the sound of the waves lapping at the shingle at the edge of the shore. A peaceful place.

They walked along the beach in silence for a few more minutes until Iruka heard the sound of rushing water.

"We're almost here," said Kakashi as they passed by a gushing waterfall which flowed into a natural pool at the foot of the cliff. Iruka dipped his hand into the pool – the water was clear and cool and fresh, perfect for a bathe.

Just beyond the waterfall was a cave in the cliff face. Its entrance was quite small and partially concealed by green, leafy foliage clinging to the overhanging rock. Kakashi pulled back the fronds and beckoned Iruka to enter. The cave opened out into a broad cavern. Towards the back of the cave were some wide rock ledges, ideal for sleeping on, and the floor was composed entirely of soft sand.

It was dry and hidden and would shield them from the elements. Just what they needed.

Iruka started to walk towards the back of the cave when he heard a crash behind him. He turned to find the ANBU unconscious on the sandy floor, lying flat on his face. Iruka rushed over to him and turned him over. He checked that he was breathing, then laid him into the recovery position and rushed outside to the waterfall. He cupped his hands and let the cool water flow into them, then rushed back into the cave to splash water on the ANBU's masked face.

Kakashi woke with a start, pulled down his mask and vomited immediately. Iruka rushed out to get him more water. He found the ANBU coughing and trying to breathe deeply, to regain his composure and stay conscious.

"Have you got a med-kit?" Iruka asked.

Kakashi nodded. He reached behind his back to open his waist pouch and drew forth a small box. It was old and faded and very, very precious to him. It had saved his life on more than one occasion. It was the gift Rin had given him to celebrate his promotion to jounin status.

With a great effort, Kakashi sat up, his body slumping forward as he did so, and opened the box. He pulled forth some small squares of paper, smiling gently at the memory – they had come up with the name together: Rin's Practically Perfect Patented Poison Predictor Paper. He pulled off a leaf and handed it to Iruka.

"Press this paper against the wound for 10 seconds."

Iruka pulled Kakashi's skintight ANBU vest up and over his silver hair to reveal the injury on his back. It was red and sore and looked very nasty indeed. The chuunin did as Kakashi asked, pressing the paper gently against the wound. He winced as he felt the pressure on his tender flesh.

The ANBU then reached around to his pouch and pulled out a small book.

"Porn?" Iruka snorted, wondering what the hell this eccentric character was going to do next.

Kakashi chuckled weakly underneath his mask. "No, I just need the bookmark inside. Tell me, what colour has the paper turned to?"

"Green."

Kakashi consulted his bookmark. Green. Okay, not so bad. This poison was derived from snake venom but it had an antidote and was curable. It was also likely to be slow acting, although two hours of running would have significantly increased its chance of moving through his system to do more damage.

"Umino, I need you to do me a favour."

"Okay."

"Please clean up the wound and dress it with the gauzes in the med kit. Then I need you to find some plants for me and follow the instructions on this bookmark. I believe the plants I need are quite common so you shouldn't have much difficulty finding them. You do know how to recognise different plant species, don't you?"

Iruka frowned. This ANBU character was definitely patronising. "Of course I do. I did pay attention in class sometimes."

"It's important. Some plant species can be quite similar. If you pick the wrong one it will exacerbate the effects of the poison."

"I know, ANBU san. You can trust me."

Iruka left the cave and found a large seashell on the beach. He then walked to the sea and filled the shell with seawater. Salt was a good antiseptic. He then returned to the cave and cleaned up Kakashi's wounds, first with the salt water, which made the ANBU hiss at the pain, then he cleansed the wound again using water from the waterfall pool close to the cavern. Kakashi then stood up and, leaning on Iruka for support, shuffled to the back of the cave and lay down on one of the rocky ledges there. Iruka made sure he was as comfortable as he could be. Kakashi looked up at the chuunin and nodded his gratitude with a solemn expression through his half-lidded grey eye.

Iruka then went outside, walked back along the beach and climbed up the cliff face in order to search for some common plants in the surrounding area. He was tired, really tired, but he felt he needed to do this to help the ANBU. The path provided an easy climb until the six metre drop from the top of the cliff. Normally Iruka would have been able to walk up the vertical rock to the top using his chakra control, but he had no such reserves to help him. However, examining the rock face, he noticed that climbing huecos had been carved from the stone and that ascending to the top was actually perfectly possible. As he reached the cliff edge he peered over the ridge to see if there was anyone about. The area was deserted, very quiet, with only the cry of seagulls to break the silence. With a great effort, the chuunin hauled himself up and began to look for the medicinal plants Kakashi required – golden currant, plantain and dock. He was lucky. The ANBU was lucky. Iruka found everything he needed and more, so returned to the cliff top and descended to the cave once again.

He found a couple of large, flat stones and placed the plantain and dock leaves on one. Then he fetched more freshwater in his shell container and added a few drops of water. He ground the plants together using the other stone as a pestle until he had made a smooth paste. Then he crushed some of the currant berries and mixed them into the paste. He wanted Kakashi to eat the remaining currants.

He walked over to where Kakashi lay sleeping. He rolled the ANBU over and exposed the wound again. It looked red, raw and angry. Kakashi stirred and looked round. He had a thin sheen of sweat covering his face and his hair was damp with perspiration. Iruka spread the plant mixture onto a poultice and placed it on the lesion, using another gauze from Rin's med-kit to dress the injury once more.

He went back to the beach and scoured for any objects he might find useful. Lying on the high tide mark were a number of items that had been washed ashore: driftwood, shells, rope, a couple of tin cans and a natural sponge. Iruka went back to the waterfall, filled the shell with clear, fresh water then soaked the sponge and returned to the cave. He placed the soft sponge on Kakashi's forehead as a cold, damp compress. The ANBU groaned slightly as he felt the coolness of the water touch his burning skin, then returned to a feverish sleep.

Iruka stood back. He'd done as much as he could for this Leaf assassin. He now had to make a decision – should he stay and look after this shinobi from his hometown or leave and try to reconcile with the Iwa ninja?


	3. Enterprises of Great Pith and Moment

Kakashi awoke and opened his eyes. He felt light-headed and slightly disoriented. The cave was dark. He had no concept of how long he had been sleeping but he figured that it must be some time in the middle of the night. All was completely black around him. He closed his grey eye and opened the sharingan to see if his chakra had returned and would allow it to activate. Not a chance. Everything was still pitch black. He hated not being able to see in the dark.

He'd been dreaming that there was a classical orchestra playing somewhere close by. The rumble of the taiko drums, the clash of the dobatsu, the rattle of the naruko, with stringed instruments screeching out a whirling tune of frenzied glissandos, rising and falling in pitch. The music was exciting and wild, verging on the hysterical - like nothing he had ever heard before.

He peered towards the entrance of the cave. It seemed to be dark outside but Kakashi had no way of telling the time. He closed his eyes again but his head felt dizzy, whirling round and round, blood pounding in his ears, like the worst hangover he'd ever had.

He laid back down for a few moments to let himself wake up more fully. When he opened his eyes again he could see a greenish blue light at the entrance of the cave. It was tiny but shone brightly. And it seemed to be moving towards him.

Kakashi squinted with his grey eye as he tried to make out what the bright object that was approaching him actually was. Then he saw it.

Not it. Her. It was Rin.

She was walking towards him with her hands cupped. The light was that of her chakra, swirling and tumbling through her fingers, as though she was ready to use her mystical palm technique to heal him. The glow of the chakra illuminated her face and body as she walked towards him, her movements were so languid that she appeared to be floating. He watched her as she approached him with a happy expression on her face, hair swaying slightly as she walked, her lovely gentle smile just beaming at him. With a great deal of effort, he held out his arms to greet her.

As she reached the place where he lay, she let the chakra slip through her fingers and tumble to the ground, like droplets of water from a fountain. Her chakra then settled at the foot of the rocks where he lay, in a swirling pool of green and blue, lighting the area surrounding them with a soft, dim glow. Then she laid herself down on the ledge beside him and he wrapped his arms around her. He was so happy to see her. He felt calm and peaceful and content. They held each other for the longest time.

He wanted to question her, ask her how she had managed to find him, how could the rumours of her death been so untrue. He wanted to tell her how sad he had been, how much he had been missing her, how angry he felt when he had heard what had happened to her. How pleased and relieved he was that she was with him now. But he didn't. He just held her tightly.

Eventually she sat up slightly. She smiled at him, slightly coquettishly, and patted his hair. She had always marvelled at how surprisingly soft those silvery spikes felt to the touch.

"Love your crazy silver hair."

He reached his hand around to the back of her head and affectionately ruffled the chocolate strands of hair.

"Love your sensible brown hair."

Silly terms of endearments were part of their friendship. They both grinned at each other, Kakashi's eyes arching into a smile. He felt so calm now she was with him.

"Why are you here? How did you find me?"

Rin's expression changed. The features of her face looked serious, verging on anxious, as she addressed him.

"Kakashi," her voice had an air of urgency to it. "Kakashi, you can help me."

He didn't know why but deep down, somewhere in his subconscious, he understood what she meant. The ANBU nodded, his grey eye indicating to her how determined he was to help her in any way he could.

She leaned in towards him and cupped his unmasked face in her hands. She was cool, almost cold, and Kakashi shivered at her touch. Then she kissed his forehead, a gentle, chaste kiss from soft lips.

She sat back on her knees and gazed at him again. He smiled at her. But her expression started changing to that of sadness. She looked weary. And then troubled. And then pained. Her head started to slump slightly, her eyelids drooping as she did so.

Suddenly she threw her head back and opened her eyes. They looked directly at Kakashi, a piercing gaze that seemed to penetrate right through him. He thought he caught a glint of light reflected in her retina but it became clear that it was her eyes themselves that were generating the glow. They started sparkling, like diamonds glittering in the light of a thousand stars, crackling with energy and shining with a luminosity so bright that it hurt Kakashi's eyes.

Kakashi sat up immediately and grasped her arms. He wanted to pull her towards him, hold her, hug her, protect her and never let her go. And then she started shaking, twitching and jerking uncontrollably, as though in a seizure.

And finally her body started warping. Twisting and writhing in Kakashi's arms, he could feel her slipping away from him. Blood began to run in crimson teardrops from her sparkling eyes. Her face began to warp and melt, as though it was made from wax, dripping and melting in the heat of a burning flame. She cried out, in pain. The pain turned to distress. The distress to agony. And then she started wilting, slowly disappearing, vanishing before him. He tried to hold her. Keep her with him. Close. Closer. But the tighter he held her, the faster she slipped away. Faded to nothing before his very eyes.

Until there was merely a phantom memory of her presence in that cave.

Kakashi suddenly felt incredibly hot, then unbelievably cold. He started sweating and shivering, convulsing slightly.

The orchestra started playing again, the accelerando of the relentless throbbing taiko and the arpeggios of the shrieking strings building up to an almighty crescendo.

Mezzo forte.

Appassionate.

Forte.

Brio. Presto. Agitato.

Tacet.

Kakashi awoke with a start, opened his eyes and looked up. The cave was dark but it looked as though dawn was approaching. The light at the entrance to the cavern looked strange, a yellowy-grey colour, providing the dimmest of illumination. Iruka was sitting beside him, gently brushing his forehead with the cool damp sponge.

Kakashi sat up and stared balefully at the rogue, hoping desperately that he hadn't been crying out in his sleep.

"You've been asleep for two nights and a day. There's a storm outside. You can hear the wind howling and the waves crashing on the shore. You have a fever. I think you were having a nightmare." The chuunin's voice was calm and reassuring.

Kakashi needed a little time to compose himself. He took a deep breath and let himself wake up fully, observing Iruka with a steely grey eye.

"Who's Rin?"

Kakashi didn't want to answer. He didn't trust this guy enough to give him any personal information about himself.

"Why do you want to know?"

"You were calling the name while you were sleeping," replied the chuunin.

Kakashi sighed. "Just a friend." He paused. "A friend who died," he said in a solemn tone with an air of finality that made it very clear that he didn't want this stranger to ask any more questions.

Iruka nodded. He was a kind person. He didn't really know what to say but felt he should say something. People should always say something, shouldn't they?

"I'm sorry."

Kakashi nodded in acknowledgement but with a solemn expression on his face that wasn't going to give any emotion away.

Iruka hesitated for a moment. Then his curiosity got the better of him. "You also muttered something about my sensible brown hair, which I didn't understand."

Kakashi smiled wistfully and slowly shook his head. "It was nothing to do with you. I was just dreaming."

Kakashi sighed, then rolled over onto his back, wincing as the poisoned wound made contact with the rocky surface he was lying on. He shifted back onto his side immediately. Iruka dipped the sponge in the water again, squeezed it and placed it on Kakashi's forehead, wiping the sweat away from his brow. The coolness of the water on his clammy skin felt really good to the ANBU.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I had my chakra drained and took a poison knife in the back," he said in a monotone without a trace of irony. "How about you?"

"Same," replied Iruka, grinning weakly. "Without the poison," he added.

"Do you know how long it takes for the chakra to return?"

"It can take a few days to get up to full strength. I suspect it's going to take you a lot longer."

It made sense. Kakashi nodded, his expression grim. "And you know this because?"

"I've been through it before. It's a horrible sensation, it's like your entire existence is being drained away. They don't take all your chakra – that would kill you – but they leave just enough for you to feel utterly helpless. You will have some physical energy, as you already know from our escape yesterday but, although your chakra will return, it will be a few days before you can perform any jutsu."

They observed each other in silence for a few moments.

Kakashi suddenly realised that he didn't have his mask on. He felt vulnerable without it. No one had seen him without his mask in many years, not even his sensei or his closest friends, let alone a complete stranger. He might have to kill the chuunin after all.

"Where's my mask?" he demanded.

"I took it with some of your other clothes and washed them. They were in a bit of a state, covered with blood, sweat and vomit. They're drying at the front of the cave. I'll fetch them, if you want me to."

Kakashi shook his head. He hated being without his mask but frankly felt too ill to worry about it. He knew he had a temperature and that he wasn't over the worst of the poisoning yet. He tentatively laid himself back down on the rocky ledge and closed his eyes. He felt terrible. If he opened his eyes, the cavern was spinning round and around. The poison was making him feel dizzy and nauseous. Horrible.

It wasn't long before the fever overtook him again and he drifted off to sleep.

By mid-morning, the storm had subsided and it was beginning to look like the weather would be fine for the rest of the day. Breezy and bracing perhaps, but the worst of the storm was over.

Iruka was beginning to feel slightly better after the chakra drain. He had experienced it before and knew that he'd get over it. He'd had to spend the previous day sleeping and resting after their ordeal but that meant he was able to keep an eye on the ANBU's health. It would be a while yet before Iruka would be able to do anything useful like perform jutsu but for the time being his physical energy was returning to him slowly.

He had thought long and hard about whether he should stay at the beach and look after the ANBU or go back to the Iwa village and try to reconcile with the shinobi gang. He had unfinished business there.

He looked at the Leaf shinobi sleeping beside him. The ANBU was clearly very ill. His exhausted body was desperately trying to fight off the poison and he had no chakra to assist with the healing process.

They hadn't even introduced themselves to each other but in the cold light of the day Iruka had guessed from his distinctive silver hair and scarred eyelid that this had to be Hatake Kakashi, Konoha's genius shinobi with a fearsome reputation and a sole sharingan. Everyone in the village knew about him. So he was Black Ops? That didn't surprise the chuunin in the slightest.

What puzzled Iruka was that while his assassin was clearly very suspicious of the chuunin's actions he had somehow decided to give him a chance. He couldn't for the life of him fathom out why. Kakashi was known for being a stickler for the rules. If he had been ordered to kill Iruka he would have done. Wouldn't he?

He watched the ANBU as he slept, his body feverish as the poison continued to invade his body, making him sick. Kakashi's pale, thin frame was shivering but he had an extremely high temperature and he was sweating profusely, although he seemed to be fighting it.

Iruka decided to stay. It would be a while before the ANBU's chakra would be up to minimal level, let alone anything near full strength and he was extremely weakened from the poison. He doubted that even a genius would survive for long on his own in that condition. He sat beside the stranger and continued to sponge his forehead. His touch was tentative - gentle and considerate. It felt odd, helping someone who had been assigned to kill him but he felt that the assassin had saved his life –whether he had meant to or not - so the least he could do was to try to return the favour. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on him.

Iruka suddenly realised that he was hungry. Scratch that, he was famished. The ANBU probably needed some form of sustenance too. The best thing for him to do would be to find some food from somewhere. But what resources did he have? Foraging seemed to be the best option. He decided to explore the vicinity to see if he could find enough to sustain them for the next few days while Kakashi recovered.

Firstly he climbed up to the cliff top to see whether he could find any edible plants. He'd been lucky with the medicinal plants, maybe, just maybe he'd find some good food to eat. Like all Konoha shinobi he was an expert in survival techniques and knew very well how to forage for food.

As he wandered along the cliff top and then travelled a short distance inland his thoughts turned to his situation. The worst had happened. He'd been designated a rogue and a traitor and the only consequence from that eventuality was that his days were numbered. Even if this ANBU failed to kill him, others would come after him. He had to try to resolve matters just as soon as he could. He had a responsibility to the shinobi he thought to be Kakashi but otherwise he had to go back to the Iwa shinobi. He'd worked so hard at gaining their trust. He was naturally good with people, he was certain that he could reconcile with them.

As he wandered through the local area he noticed that there were a reasonable number of edible plants in the vicinity. Sure, they weren't going to rival anything that Ichiraku's cooked up but there would be enough to sustain him and the ANBU. Dandelions. Not the most exciting of plants but nutritious enough and plentiful. He excavated their roots and extracted the whole plant from the ground – roots, leaves, flowers – all were entirely edible. And then he came upon a clump of sorrel, a delicate herb, and utterly delicious. Burdock was the next plant he encountered. The leaf stalks were fine to eat, but the root was delicious, especially marinated in a sesame dressing. Okay. Sesame gobo dressing was completely out of the question, but the burdock was nutritious enough. He checked carefully to ensure that he hadn't confused it with belladonna. If he screwed up there, he'd finish off his assassin without any difficulty at all. Finally he chanced up on some wild garlic. Best of all. The flavour was subtly aromatic and would make all the bland roots and leaves so much more tasty. They'd have a feast tonight. Or something approximating that. He also picked more dock and golden currants, just in case he needed to produce another poultice for Kakashi.

Iruka returned to the beach bearing the vegetables and herbs. He located an area of the cave that was cool and dry – which would act perfectly as a larder. As he brushed away some remnants of grit and dust that had fallen onto the smooth rocky surface, he couldn't help but notice some characters scratched into the back wall of his makeshift food store, probably with a kunai. It said: 'Obito's stash – DO NOT TOUCH!' and had a Leaf motif scratched out underneath it. Iruka smiled. He had no idea who Obito was but this place had clearly served as a refuge for Konoha shinobi in the past. Iruka continued clearing the area then placed the food he had collected in that place for the time being.

He checked in briefly on the sleeping Kakashi and noted that there wasn't much change in his condition - he was still unconscious and feverish. The chuunin then walked slowly along the length of the beach to forage, taking his time, observing what foods might be available.

He headed directly to the rock pools first. There he found a number of different types of seaweed. They were so nutritious. He picked some of the more tender species – the stuff that was edible without having to boil it for hours. He also gathered some carrageen, which he intended to lay out in the sun to dry. They'd be able to boil it up and make jelly from it in a few days' time.

The rock pools also yielded more food, this time protein in the form of molluscs: mussels and common periwinkles just ripe for the picking. Iruka just pulled them from the rocks. He also noticed that the brine had evaporated from some of the shallower pools, the ones that had only had a few millilitres of water in from when the tide had retreated.

Located in each dried out mini rock pool, was a ring of salt.

Iruka gathered up the salt, scraping the glittering white crystals into the palm of his hand. He had an idea and he might, just might, be lucky.

The chuunin then walked to a sandy part of the beach, close to the sea. It was low tide so he walked towards the water's edge and he examined the area before him. Yes, there were little holes in the sand. He knew what they were. He also knew that if he could get hold of any of them, they were absolutely guaranteed to be both nutritious and, more importantly, delicious.

Razor clams.

He carefully approached one of the indentations in the sand and sprinkled some of the salt he had collected.

And waited.

The clam had to be fooled into thinking that the tide was coming in. Razor clams were incredibly elusive.

Actually, catching them was easy for a shinobi. The salt would entice them into popping up to check out the incoming tide and then all the forager had to do would be to grab them before they realised they'd been hoodwinked.

Easy for a shinobi with their lightning reflexes, honed over many years of training. Unless, or course, they had had their chakra drained a couple of days ago. But… Iruka was quick enough to catch six of them. With the plants and other shellfish he would be able to prepare a feast.

Shame he didn't have any noodles.

Iruka located the two tin cans he'd previously found on the shoreline and washed them out in the waterfall. They weren't rusted at all and would serve as excellent cooking vessels that he and Kakashi could also eat from. The next thing to do was to create a fire. Iruka's chakra nature was earth and he had no ability to create fire, with or without a chakra drain, so the old fashioned method was going to have to do.

Iruka collected some large stones and placed them in a circle outside the entrance to the cave. He piled up the driftwood he'd collected then found some dried moss and lichen on the cliff face which would act as tinder and some small sticks for kindling. He located some more sticks and a large block of driftwood which would act as a fireboard. The rope he'd found was perfect to wrap around a stick to form the bow. Then it was just a process of creating enough friction to get an ember glowing in the wood and drop the tinder in.

Once the fire was lit, Iruka began the process of preparing the meal. The water from the waterfall by the cave was good to drink, sweet and fresh. Iruka set about chopping up the root vegetables with his kunai and then boiled them in the tin cans. He then added the sorrel and garlic which provided lovely aromatic flavours and then finally added the clams and shellfish, letting them cook for just a couple of minutes so that they wouldn't overcook and turn rubbery. Finally he garnished the meal with a dandelion flower.

"Wake up, ANBU san," Iruka gently nudged the sleeping shinobi's shoulder. He stirred and opened his grey eye, observing the smiling chuunin looking down upon him. He still felt groggy.

"My name's Kakashi," he replied slowly.

"I know."

So he had guessed correctly. The chuunin responded, "My name is Iruka."

"I know."

"I have food for you. Shellfish and burdock in a sorrel and garlic soup."

Kakashi grinned. "I didn't realise I was about to assassinate a gourmet."

They ate in silence, sipping at the soup from the hot cans. Their bodies needed all the nutrition they could get to give them strength.

Iruka then insisted that Kakashi eat the remaining golden currants as he believed that they would continue to help counteract the effects of the poison.

When they had finished their meal, the ANBU looked much better. His pallor had changed from deathly sallow to an almost healthy pale. He sat back and nodded his appreciation to the rogue.

"That was good," he said quietly, but in a noncommittal tone.

The chuunin nodded, a small smile upon his face.

"I need to check your wound again," he stated matter-of-factly. Kakashi nodded his consent and lifted his shirt over his head, turning his back as he did so, so that Iruka could get a closer look.

Iruka examined the wound. It was looking slightly better, but was still red and clearly very sore. He gently prodded the flesh around it. Kakashi winced slightly but was determined that he wouldn't show any sign of quite how agonisingly painful it was.

"Does it hurt?"

"Yeah, but it feels better than it did."

"I'm going to change the poultice, I think that will help."

"Thanks."

They made no further attempts at conversation while Iruka tended to Kakashi. The ANBU was impressed at how gentle and caring the chuunin was and how carefully he treated the wound.

When Iruka had finished, Kakashi replaced his shirt, put on his mask and turned around to face the chuunin. He looked at Iruka, a serious expression on his face, as he nodded to acknowledge his gratitude. Iruka smiled at him – he had been genuinely glad to help the ANBU.

They observed each other for a few moments longer. It was an awkward silence, made more uncomfortable by the fact that Kakashi had been supposed to kill the young man who sat before him. Each shinobi was entirely unsure what to say. Eventually Iruka decided to break the silence and spoke up. He had a number of questions that desperately needed answering.

"Are you okay to talk with me?"

Kakashi nodded.

"I need to ask why you came after me. Why the authorities in Konoha ordered you to kill me."

"I read the mission report from your team mates. They indicated that you had defected and joined the Iwa shinobi. The statement was quite unequivocal. And you know as well as I do what the penalty is for defection."

Iruka frowned. A dark shadow seemed to pass across his face and he looked as though he was struggling to contain his emotions. Kakashi noted that his expression looked, well, disappointed, upset, even hurt.

"So, why didn't you kill me?"

Kakashi exhaled slowly. "I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"


	4. No Traveller Returns, Puzzles the Will

"Okay team, we need to take a breather here."

Three shinobi gathered around the cell leader under a tall tree which offered them shade from the searing heat that was beating down from the midday sun. They had been running continuously for five hours and were making good time. They each stood upright to catch their breath briefly, hands resting on their hips, then they squatted together in a circle as they discussed their strategy.

"We will soon be leaving Fire Country, heading through Kusa and approaching the Land of Earth. When we get there, the terrain will be very different and it is possible that we may encounter bandits or rogue shinobi. We're heading north west to rendezvous with the client in about a day's time."

Iruka looked up at each member of the team who were all paying close attention.

"For this next stage I want Mizuki to lead, acting as scout. I will follow two hundred metres behind, carrying the scroll, then I want Fuyou and Akan another couple of hundred metres behind me."

Iruka grinned as he addressed his friend directly. "I need all your observational skills on this one, M. This mission would be a doddle if it didn't take us right into the heart of Earth Country and I am concerned that we might run into some objectionable characters."

Mizuki smiled back and nodded in acknowledgement. Even though they were childhood friends this was actually the first time they had been on a mission together, having trained under different jounin masters and had therefore been part of different chuunin cells. Iruka was delighted to be working with his pal and was desperately proud that he was leading this mission – his first in command. He was very grateful to know that his friend was proud of his achievement and for the support that Mizuki had promised to give him.

"Remember, Earth is barren countryside. We will be far more exposed than Fire's shady forests and Kusa's grassy meadows and bamboo woods. We will need to be on our guard constantly."

He patted Mizuki's shoulder. "And you know exactly the direction to follow?"

Mizuki reciprocated by punching Iruka's arm – a habit that Iruka knew to be a friendly gesture, something that had become a bit of a custom between them over the years. "Sure I do. What do you think I am? Useless and hopeless?"

"Of course not," Iruka replied hastily. Then he realised that his friend was joking and smiled at him. "Now I want to reach the Shaku mountain range before nightfall. I suggest that we set up camp for the night just before we get there and then pass through the valleys first thing in the morning, so that hopefully we won't attract the attention of any bandits. Mizuki, please find a suitable place to camp for the night before we reach the range proper and we'll catch up with you."

The team nodded their agreement.

And with that, they started off again.

About an hour into the journey, Iruka was beginning to feel slightly uneasy. He knew that they should be travelling in a north-west direction in order to meet the client but, glancing up at the sun which was more-or-less directly behind them, felt that they were probably heading slightly off course. He decided to sprint to catch up with Mizuki.

His chuunin friend had been keeping a reasonable speed but was quite startled when Iruka caught up with him and tapped him on the shoulder. It vaguely surprised Iruka - he would have thought Mizuki would have realised that he was being pursued. Not to worry. First time out, they were making good time. The lead pair slowed their pace and found a rocky crag to rest beside. When the rear squad came into view Iruka signalled for them to hold back for a while.

Iruka wanted to take a moment to check that Mizuki was okay and to ask him about the direction that the team had been taking. He didn't want to challenge his friend for making a mistake in front of the others. That could potentially embarrass Mizuki, which would be both unprofessional and unfair.

"Are you okay, M?" Iruka asked, his eyes bright and with an expression of genuine concern on his face.

Mizuki looked annoyed. "Of course. Why did you break the formation?"

"I was worried that we were headed slightly off-course and just wanted to check with you that you were happy with the direction we were taking. If we go off course in the Shaku range we could very easily get lost and it could be really dangerous."

Iruka was handling the situation in a diplomatic and tactful manner. He didn't criticise, he just wanted to check that all was well and give Mizuki the opportunity to correct his mistake without any retribution.

But Mizuki bristled visibly and his eyes narrowed. "Of course."

Iruka, keen to avoid conflict, replied, "It's probably my fault. You know, I'm not sure that I had made it clear that we wanted to be heading north-west. I just wanted to confirm that with you."

Iruka was almost certain that he had made it very clear which direction they should have been taking, but didn't want to upset his friend.

Mizuki smiled at his friend. "Not to worry. You've set me right. Okay then, you're the boss, whatever you say."

Iruka grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "Thanks, pal."

And so Mizuki set off again. Iruka signalled back to Fuyou and Akan that they should continue their pursuit and the team headed off once more.

They continued for a few more hours until the light was beginning to fade. Iruka was convinced that they were making really good time and Mizuki's pace had been especially quick.

They were about to approach the Shaku range, a particularly onerous part of Iwa territory. The landscape was mountainous, with tall peaks and deep valleys, which had narrow winding passages through them, carved over the centuries by ice and water and not a few destructive shinobi battles.

It was a long range stretching several miles and it marked the official border of Earth territory. It was quicker to travel through than around, but it was known to Konoha shinobi to be dangerous and all ninja knew that they had to be cautious on their approach. Iruka had wanted to stop and make camp before they arrived here. The terrain was treacherous and the locale teeming with bandits and rogues, who all knew the area well.

Although they were technically foothills, the change in the landscape was quite dramatic, the topography giving way to a large plateau with steep craggy rock faces and narrow gorges carved through them at sporadic intervals. These paths formed the easiest route through the mountain range and into the Land of Earth, but they were also the most dangerous. Iruka had expected Mizuki to find a secluded place close to the edge of the mountains where they could rest for the night. They would then leave before dawn to pass through the tortuous winding valleys, with the aim of avoiding any undesirable characters who might be lurking within. He was fairly sure that they were probably still somewhat off-course, but once they had passed through this range they could easily get back on track.

So Iruka was quite surprised when he spotted the cliffs of the foothills ahead and no sign of Mizuki. Early evening was absolutely the worst time to be traversing that route. He signalled for Fuyou and Akan to stop. He looked up and down along the length of the range but there was no sign of his friend.

What should he do? He couldn't see his comrade anywhere at all. It appeared as though Mizuki had simply vanished. Rocky crags loomed above him, tall and imposing, and straight ahead was a natural path formed from a gorge that cut through the rock and ran into the heart of the mountains.

Iruka decided that instead of venturing into the narrow path of the valley perhaps it would be preferable to scale the cliff face and look into the gorge from the top. It would mean less likelihood of an ambush from below.

He climbed the sheer cliff face like an insect, his body flush against the rock, using his chakra to keep his hands and feet attached to the surface as he scaled the rock face. Iruka's chakra control was excellent and, although he could have walked up there, he decided that climbing would offer him a stealthier approach that was less likely to attract attention. He made it to the top of the plateau with ease. He crawled along the stony surface, close to the edge of a gorge that penetrated deep into the foothills, keeping a low profile so as not to attract attention.

The sun was beginning to set, casting shadows across the rocky terrain. The evening had a golden glow to it and dusk was fast approaching. Iruka carefully tavelled along the edge of the gorge for about half a kilometre, desperately trying to spot Mizuki in the valley below. He could smell the smoke from a campfire nearby and heard the faint sound of voices. He noticed that a just a few hundred metres further down the range, the gorge split into two separate pathways and the path that was nearest to him opened out into a wide cavernous space with a large overhang above it. The chuunin crawled in the direction of the sound and smoke and peered over the ledge into the valley floor below.

"Ha, ha, ha! Are Konoha shinobi always this dumb?" The words echoed around the gap in the gorge. A raucous bunch of ninja sat around a fire at the foot of the cliff, drinking copious quantities of an undetermined firewater, laughing and joking together.

"What an idiot. Walks straight into an ambush like a fucking amateur. You'd have thought they'd teach Konoha ninja to at least have some fucking idea about caution when travelling through our land."

Iruka's heart sank. It sounded as though Mizuki had been captured. He edged further towards the precipice and stared at the bottom of the gorge, letting his eyes adjust to the impending darkness. There he spotted his friend, slumped at the foot of the cliff, the light from the dancing flames of the fire flickering in his silver hair.

Iruka observed Mizuki carefully. He'd just casually wandered into an ambush? His body was sagging with his head drooping forward and it appeared as though he was barely conscious. The chuunin couldn't make out whether he had been tied up. He didn't appear to have been, and this puzzled Iruka. Why capture a shinobi and not bother to tether him? Any ninja worth a damn would do their utmost to escape at the first opportunity.

A few moments later, Iruka heard echoes from the gorge in the direction he had come from. It sounded like laughter. He decided to wait so that he could establish what was happening. It was getting chilly and he shivered slightly; he was feeling increasingly uneasy about his situation but particularly that of his comrades. Eventually three ninja ambled into view. One was a huge bloke, bald and bronzed, followed by two skinny subordinates, each carrying an unconscious man over their shoulder. Iruka craned his neck and peered into the valley below desperately trying to observe who these unfortunates were.

Shit.

His heart sank and he felt a hollow feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. He exhaled slowly. The worst had happened. Now Fuyou and Akan had been captured.

This was going so badly wrong. Iruka peered down to the valley floor to see if he could gauge what had happened to them. It appeared as though they too were unconscious, their faces were swollen, as though they'd received a beating.

The Iwa shinobi huddled round the campfire. "Okay. Konoha shinobi generally travel in cells of three or four. If it's three, then we've got the lot, otherwise there may be just one more Leaf idiot to capture."

The bulky ninja spoke up. "Have you searched these ones? Are they carrying anything interesting?"

The underlings patted all three ninja down, then meticulously searched through their backpacks. Nothing of use at all.

"Nah. Nothing here. If they're on a mission they're not the ones we need to capture. I reckon there's one more. We need to find him as soon as…"

Iruka shuddered as he heard these words. His mind was reeling at the thought that his cellmates had been captured and yet he had a mission that he needed to complete. Was obliged to complete.

He had to make a decision. Figure out the best course of action. He could leave his comrades behind and push on to the Iwa rendezvous alone or he could try to rescue the team. Both choices had their risks. Venturing through Earth Country on his own could be very dangerous and yet unless his comrades were able to help him battle the enemy – and that looked highly unlikely judging by the state of them in their present condition - Iruka would probably have to take on all six Iwa shinobi if he wanted to try to save the team.

He decided to hold back for the moment and observe the Iwa ninja. Maybe they would drink themselves into a stupor and he could try to rescue his colleagues while the enemy were sleeping. He lay low at the top of the overhang, watching the group and tried to mask his chakra signature.

He waited until darkness had fallen. The yellow flames of the fire were beginning to die out, transforming into warm, glowing red embers. Some of the Iwa shinobi were lying down, trying to get some rest, but others had decided to continue drinking whatever grog remained, and got the fire started up again. It appeared to Iruka as though this was their job – keep an eye out for foreign ninja and capture them.

Suddenly he heard a noise behind him. Crap. There were more members of the gang, they were already at the top of the plateau, close by, and actively searching him out.

He froze, instantly masked his chakra and waited to assess how many of the enemy there were and where they were located.

His best course of action now would be to surprise them. He silently crawled away from the cliff face and hid behind a rock on the plateau, keeping his chakra veiled and waited until the Iwa shinobi came into range. He was particularly proficient at acoustic location and was able to pinpoint how far the shinobi was from him quite accurately, even in the dark. He recognised that there were two shinobi seeking him out. And they were approaching his location.

One Iwa ninja came into range. He passed by the rock and Iruka pounced. He seized his enemy from behind, then reached beneath the enemy's underarm with his thumb and pinched a particularly sensitive nerve with his forefinger. The shinobi slumped to the ground, unconscious. Iruka let him drop gently to the floor, as quietly as possible, and then moved towards the other ninja who was fast approaching.

Iruka crouched and waited silently as the enemy approached. He had masked his chakra so well that the new assailant walked right past him, which gave the Leaf chuunin the chance to leap up and grab him with the intention of rendering him unconscious as well. However, this ninja wasn't giving up without a fight and immediately shoved his elbows into Iruka's ribs, winding him. The Iwa ninja spun around and kicked at Iruka's head but the chuunin ducked. Realising the enemy was off-balance, Iruka caught his leg quick as a flash, lifted it – taking the Iwa's body with it – up in the air and let it crash to the ground. The ninja didn't have time to react to break his fall. His head hit the hard stone and he too was out cold.

Iruka winced. The crashing sound was likely to have alerted the other ninja down in the gorge below. The chuunin hid behind the rock once more, hoping that the others were too drunk to bother with investigating any noises from above. Fat chance. Iruka heard muffled shouts.

"Oi! Kemono! Did you hear that? We need to check it out"

Iruka lay flat on his stomach and crawled to the edge of the overhang to peer into the gorge. He listened intently to the activity below.

"Doton: Earth Elevator!"

Shit.

Iruka felt the ground rumble as though an earthquake had struck. He could see a mound of earth rising from the bottom of the campsite to the very place where he was hiding. Striding atop this earth elevator was the large bald ninja. Two more earth stacks, each bearing a skinny subordinate, were also rising rapidly from the depths below. Iruka edged away from the cliff edge and back to his hiding place behind the large rock as quickly as he could, before the masses of earth rose to his level and revealed his location. It was pretty dark, he might just have a hope of hiding from them. No point in running, they'd hear him and pursue. His heart was pounding. He held his breath.

A loud booming voice broke the silence. "Come out, come out, last little Leaf. I can sense your presence."

Iruka cursed to himself. He was convinced that he had suppressed his chakra to almost nothing. He remained completely still, hoping that the bald ninja was bluffing. No point in just giving himself up.

"Ha ha ha! Nice try, but you happen to have come across your worst nightmare."

The mound of earth had grown sufficiently to reach the top of the cliff and the brute they called Kemono stepped off onto the rocky surface of the plateau's pinnacle. His colleagues were not far behind, striding atop their rising earth elevators. Iruka's mind was racing. He assessed the situation quickly. He could probably out-run the big guy. His best hope would be to take out the two skinny shinobi and then to make his escape.

Shoom! Shoom!

Iruka aimed two shuriken at each of the ninja currently ascending the mounds of earth that were rising rapidly from the valley floor. One hit one of the shinobi square on the collarbone. He lost his balance, fell from the stack of earth he was riding upon and went tumbling to the bottom of the gorge. Unfortunately the other dodged and Iruka's throwing star missed its target. The earth ninja reciprocated immediately with a couple of shuriken of his own.

It was now dark, with the only light coming from the pale half-moon cloaked with clouds and the flames of the fire in the bottom of the gorge. Iruka realised that he simply couldn't see well enough to dodge any weapons that were being aimed at him. His best bet was to build a defence wall. His chakra was earth natured and, although he was not very experienced, he had learned basic techniques which he had been practicing diligently.

Tiger. Hare. Boar. Dog. Doton: Earth Wall!

It wasn't going to be the greatest earth wall in the world but it would definitely protect him from any light weapons being hurled in his direction. Which it did.

Za! The earth barrier he had formed him shattered immediately, brushed aside by the shinobi astride the earth stacks. Most Iwa ninja had earth chakra affinities and were experts in the use of such techniques. Iruka knew that he would struggle to battle with them, let alone have much chance of defeating them. With the wall gone, Iruka was now exposed to the enemy. But, curiously, they didn't chase him.

The clouds parted and the light of the moon shone through, providing the dimmest of illumination amidst the shadows. He peered into the darkness to observe both ninja and figure out a line of defence. There were two Iwa shinobi heading straight for him. They seemed to be able to sense where he was hiding.

As the ninja came into view, Iruka realised that he couldn't actually see the eyes of the one they called Kemono. For about one second. As that fact sank in, the bulky shinobi's eyes started sparkling, flashing, as he raised his arm in Iruka's direction. The sight was hypnotic and it took all Iruka's strength to look away.

He turned and started to run. He had no other choice. He set off at a rapid pace, but with each step his body became heavier and less responsive. It felt like he was wading through glue. He couldn't get away. He could hardly breathe. It felt as though all his energy was being drained from him.

Which it was.

Eventually he stumbled and then crashed to the ground, exhausted. He'd done his damndest and taken out a few of the enemy but he had no chance against this sensory ninja. The pair approached him, muttering to each other.

"This one's a live wire. Haven't had such a fight in a while. He took out Okojo, Kudagitsune and Nezu-kun."

The bulky ninja laughed, a deep, sinister chuckle. "Yeah. Tie this one up. I'll knock him out."

Iruka felt a sharp blow to the temple and remembered nothing more.

When he awoke he found was in a small room. It was dank, dimly lit and smelled musty. His vision was blurry as he looked around him but his eyes slowly focussed and he saw the rest of his team, who were all staring at him, a look of relief upon their faces as their leader came to.

Iruka blinked a couple of times as his eyes adjusted to the light. "How long have I been out?" he asked groggily.

Mizuki turned to look at him. "A few hours. They brought us to this town in Iwa territory."

"What the hell happened?" he asked, looking specifically to Mizuki for answers.

The chuunin shrugged. "We met with some bad company." He nodded towards the far side of the room, where a couple of the Iwa shinobi were slouched on seats, observing the Konoha four. One of them, sporting a bandage wrapped around his head, scowled at Iruka. He was clearly one of the ninja the Leaf leader had managed to take out before he was captured.

Iruka shifted slightly. He was still tied up and was aching all over. He felt drained. Completely and utterly drained. There was a single part of his body that didn't hurt. He'd taken a blow to the head and felt slightly nauseous.

"I feel awful," he stated to no one in particular.

"That's because your chakra has been drained," explained Mizuki. "They told us what had happened when they brought us here. That big shinobi, the one they call Kemono, is a sensory ninja who can suck up your chakra with his eyes."

Iruka sighed. That explained a lot. He'd put up his best fight but he recognised immediately that he didn't stand a chance against that sort of power. If only Mizuki had headed in the right direction, they'd have crossed the Shaku range further along the plateau and would never have run into this bunch. Still, no time for 'if onlys', no time for retribution. They were where they were. He had to work out how the hell he could get them all out of this situation.

And then he remembered.

The scroll.

Shit, he realised that he was no longer in possession of the scroll. The Iwa ninja had obviously found it and taken it from him. The whole purpose of the mission: to rendezvous with the client and pass on the information. Iruka's heart sank. He was going to fail miserably on his first time out as a leader. He glanced across at his comrades. They all looked exhausted and had clearly been beaten up by the Iwa thugs. Fuyou and Akan, in particular, were in a terrible state.

One of the Iwa ninja got up and left the room. He returned shortly and brought along the rest of his gang, including Kemono, who was carrying something in his hand. Nestled within the firm grip of his short, stubby fingers lay the Konoha scroll.

Iruka looked up at the bulky ninja. It was his first opportunity to observe his enemy at close quarters. He was huge and thoroughly intimidating, bare chested and bronzed, with rippling muscles, he towered above the Konoha four. The very first thing Iruka noticed about him was that the shinobi's eyes were completely black. They seemed to absorb all light. It was really quite disconcerting.

Kemono ignored the other Leaf ninja and addressed Iruka directly, acknowledging him as the leader of the group.

"Can you tell me what this is?"

"I could," replied Iruka, defiantly. "But if I did, I'd have to kill you."

Kemono observed the chuunin, his black eyes narrowing. He drew himself up to his full height and clenched his fists, crumpling the scroll slightly, his knuckles turning white as he did so. He towered over Iruka.

He took one good look at the chuunin then threw his head back and roared with laughter, his booming chuckle echoing around the room.

"Well at least you've got a sense of humour," he snorted, shaking his head in slight disbelief that anyone in Iruka's position could be so bold. His expression then became more serious.

"You realise the situation you are in, don't you? We don't take kindly to Konoha shinobi carrying out their business on our turf. I think you realise that we can keep you here with your chakra constantly drained for as long as we like."

Iruka nodded.

Kemono continued. "So it really would be in your best interests to tell us about this scroll, yeah?"

Iruka sighed. He was going to have to bluff this one. "Come on, I really can't tell you. Give me some credit."

Kemono shook his head and signalled to the other ninja in the room. Three of them each grabbed a Leaf shinobi and started beating them up. Fuyou and Akan groaned, their legs gave way and they collapsed into a heap on the floor. The Iwa shinobi continued their assault by kicking them. Mizuki stood his ground for a while and took a few sharp punches to the belly before he too fell to the floor, whining and groaning with the pain.

The Iwa ninja then picked the three Konoha shinobi up and roughly shoved them against the wall.

Iruka winced. He hated witnessing what was happening to his comrades. He had to think quickly. His mind thought through all the possible options that were available to him. He was tired and disoriented but he forced himself to clear his head and think logically. First of all, he surmised that he would be more likely to be able to escape if he didn't have to worry about rescuing his comrades. Was there any chance that the Iwa ninja would let them go?

Kemono spoke again, his voice loud and clear. "So, are you going to tell me about that scroll?"

Iruka shrugged. "I really can't help you there, mate."

Immediately, the Iwa ninja starting punching and kicking Mizuki, Ayan and Fuyou again. Their bodies were already worn out from the chakra drain and the beatings they had already received and they were clearly in a lot of pain. Iruka didn't know how long they would hold out for.

"Stop!" Iruka cried out. The Iwa ninja looked at Kemono briefly. He didn't give the signal, so they continued their assault on the Konoha trio.

"I SAID STOP!" Iruka shouted. He stood up and faced Kemono, his eyes blazing with what he hoped looked like fury and not fear.

The skinny ninja paused, waiting for instructions from their leader, and Kemono stared at the Leaf ninja with his empty black eyes. It was as though he was looking right through him. It was impossible for Iruka to gauge what he was thinking – there was not a hint of emotion nor a trace of feeling. Kemono nodded to his comrades briefly and the assault ended. The Konoha shinobi slumped to the floor.

Iruka took a deep breath. He leaned against the wall trying to appear casual. He had to think and think quickly. Yes - the very first thing he needed to do was to get the others out of there. Then he could worry about retrieving the scroll without worrying about them. The best way that he could figure out how to do this would be to bullshit his enemy. He had to use his finest acting skills.

He lifted his head slowly and stared at Kemono, looking directly into those deep, obsidian eyes. He spoke very precisely and clearly.

"Okay. I've thought things through and I'll cut a deal. Let these three go and I'll join you. I'll tell you everything I know about the scroll and how you can use it. I am certain that you can benefit from its secrets."

Kemono raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat cynical. His voice clearly didn't believe a word that Iruka had said. "Right. So suddenly you do know all about it?"

Iruka had to be convincing. He sighed before he continued, giving the impression of being world-weary and knowing that he had been defeated. "Yes," he spoke softly, but clearly. "I am the team leader. The information was entrusted only to me. They don't know anything. Let them go and I'll work with you."

Kemono looked bemused. "And the reason I should trust you is?"

Iruka shrugged. But he looked at the thug with confidence, as though he had figured it all out.

"You haven't got anything to lose. I have got everything to lose. You can keep me here forever, keep us here forever, our chakra permanently drained. I don't see what value my team-mates have to you, so why don't you just let them go? I can be useful to you. It's true I don't have much choice, but you have nothing to lose by letting me join you. And you can gain something of value if I tell you the scroll's specifics."

Kemono raised an eyebrow. He looked closely at Iruka's expression. The found the Konoha chuunin intriguing and was impressed that he had managed to fight, let alone defeat, some his Iwa comrades. Normally the Iwa enemies were overcome instantly, just collapsing before him, pretty much like Mizuki, Ayan and Fuyou had done - fallen prey to a powerful bloodline ability.

Iruka realised that Kemono found the proposal to be appealing. It was true, the Iwa ninja had everything to gain from this situation. The Konoha chuunin had another thought strike him – could he nail the clincher? He took a deep breath and cocked his head slightly, as though he was carefully considering his current situation and his future.

"You know from last night that my chakra affinity is earth, right? Not many people in Konoha have earth affinity. I've been learning, but I have a way to go and there aren't many people who can teach me in my home village. I know Iwa ninja are highly skilled at earth techniques and I reckon I can learn a lot from you."

Kemono was paying close attention. He observed the chuunin before him carefully, trying to assess his sincerity. Iruka had no idea how to gauge what the Iwa leader was thinking, his deep, hollow eyes gave absolutely nothing away. He recognised that the Leaf chuunin might be bluffing, but he was fully aware that he had the upper hand. He could easily kill the ninja simply by draining all his chakra if he turned out to be no good.

Iruka stood up and looked Kemono directly in those eyes that were blacker than the darkest night.

"Let these guys go and I'll give up my loyalty to Konoha. I'll join you, help you translate the scroll and we can all benefit from the rewards within."

"And if it doesn't work out, you'll probably kill me anyway," he muttered under his breath.

"So, that's why I ended up with the Iwa shinobi," Iruka sighed. He was desperately disappointed, hurt even, that Mizuki - his friend - hadn't realised that he was bluffing in order to get his team-mates back home so that he could retrieve the scroll and return to his home village. He had been so proud that he'd managed to convince the Iwa shinobi to let the others go. His top priority had been to save his comrades, then salvage what he could of the failed mission.

Kakashi moved towards the fire and dropped another piece of driftwood onto the dying embers. The flames sparked up again, casting flickering shadows that danced across the chuunin's scarred face. By the time Iruka had finished telling his story the evening was drawing near and there was a chill in the air. Kakashi looked directly at Iruka, a quizzical expression in his grey eye.

"And can you decipher the coding on that scroll?"

"Of course not! I was bullshitting them. Trying to play for time. I planned to retrieve the scroll and escape back to Konoha just as soon as I could. But I figured it would be easier if I didn't have to worry about getting the others out with me. They were in a terrible state. I needed to get them out and then steal the scroll back because I'm sure they could have found encryption experts to reveal its secrets. And then I would have been really screwed."

"As opposed to 'you've been declared a traitor and Black Ops have been dispatched to kill you' kind of screwed?" Kakashi observed. He scrutinised the young man's expression. It was very obvious to him just how loyal Iruka was to Konoha and to his friends.

"You did the right thing," he stated softly.

"I'm really in trouble now, aren't I?"

Kakashi changed the subject slightly. "Doesn't sound like your friend is much of a friend," he said, in a matter of fact tone.

Iruka bristled immediately. "I think it must just be some terrible misunderstanding. Mizuki knows me really well. He knows that I am loyal to Konoha. The problem is that I just didn't get a chance to tell him that I was bluffing and that I was doing what I did so that the rest of the team could get away. I was counting on him not taking my actions at face value. Fuyou and Akan would also have written a report, but I wouldn't have expected them to understand."

"Well it sounds to me like they all fucked up pretty badly and were trying to cover their mistakes."

This irritated Iruka enormously. Kakashi didn't know anything about him, didn't know Mizuki, didn't know about their friendship. Who was he to make such a judgement? Iruka and Mizuki were good friends. The mission had gone wrong and somehow Mizuki hadn't cottoned on to Iruka's intentions. That had to be the reason.

"I was the team leader, the responsibility was mine," he stated softly but firmly. "If you state the facts as required by a mission report, there is no denying that I appeared to have defected. But, please believe me, I had to make a call. I honestly thought I was doing the right thing, the best thing I could possibly do under the circumstances."

Kakashi shrugged. He'd been leading chuunin grade missions since before Iruka was even a student at the Academy.

Iruka turned to address Kakashi in a solemn tone, with a voice that was filled with resolve and determination.

"Kakashi, I have to go back to that village. I have to retrieve that scroll and clear my name."


	5. Must Give Us Pause – There's the Respec

Kakashi had a troubled night's sleep. Despite his exhaustion, the poison, the fever and the chakra drain, his mind was buzzing, trying to take in everything that Iruka had told him. The chuunin's loyalty to Konoha was absolutely plain to the ANBU and he was convinced that he had done the right thing – however much trouble it was going to land him in - by disobeying the Hokage's order to assassinate him. Iruka could have handled the situation better, perhaps, but he had ended up having to deal with very difficult circumstances and had clearly done his best. For the team.

Kakashi's thoughts turned to his father. All those bad feelings he'd spent much of his life suppressing came flooding back to him. It was like a wound that would never quite heal, always there, a pain that might diminish slightly over time but could flare up at any moment and would never really mend. He had blamed his father for failing to complete his own final mission. Considered him disloyal to Konoha. Unprofessional. He had been ashamed of his dad for not doing the right thing. And Iruka's situation had put a whole new perspective on that sad story. Had his father gone through the same thought process as chuunin? Had he had to face a horrific dilemma? What was the right thing to do? He knew his father's team-mates had turned their backs on him and vilified him for what they considered to be a horrendous mistake. But were they actually covering their own backs? Did his beloved father enter such a deep depression that he felt life was not worth living because others had considered his actions so heinous or was it because his team had shunned him in order to protect themselves? Kakashi pondered upon how easy it could have been for the situation to go so badly wrong, how difficult the choices Sakumo might have had to make. He would never, ever forget the image of his father's cold, lifeless body, slumped on the bloodstained tatami in the Hatake mansion. It was burned into his memory and imprinted on his soul forever.

Then Kakashi reflected upon Obito. This was something that was customary for the ANBU. He thought about Obito every day and always made a point of paying his respects at the memorial stone whenever he was in Konoha. His friend, who he hadn't realised was a true friend until it was too late. The friend who had inadvertently taught him the real meaning of teamwork. Through understanding Obito's actions on their final mission together, Kakashi had also learned not to hate his father. Obito was compulsive, intuitive and obstinate, everything that was anathema to Kakashi's principles at the time and contradicted all the shinobi training he had received. Obito and Minato had taught him that it was okay to bend the rules, it was better to do what was right. Rin had reinforced this concept in the missions they had later carried out together. If it hadn't been for Obito's sheer bloody-mindedness, Rin would probably have been killed during the war and would not have become the friend that Kakashi had considered to be his most precious in the world. He owed Obito such an enormous debt, a debt that he would never, ever be able to repay.

Finally Kakashi's thoughts turned to the ninja he had been assigned to kill. An inexperienced chuunin, out on his first mission as a leader, he too had faced a similar quandary to that which his father had had to deal with. Iruka had clearly done his best to protect his colleagues, to get them freed, and had done that in the full knowledge that it was potentially at the cost of his own life - whether he be killed by the Iwa ninja who would finally lose their patience with him when they realised he was deceiving them or at the hands of a Konoha assassin.

Iruka, however, slept well for the first time in many days. He had told the ANBU his story and Kakashi had accepted his version of events. Had told him that he had done the right thing, had done his best. The chuunin's sleep pattern had been dreadful since his capture. He had constantly been worrying about his comrades or desperately trying to work out how he could retrieve the scroll whilst continuing to maintain the deception that he could help the Iwa ninja decipher it. Then he'd had to face an elite Black Ops shinobi and managed to convince him not to execute him. And here he was, in a cave in the heart of enemy territory, caring for a ninja from his home village who had been assigned a mission to kill him.

But somehow Kakashi had given Iruka a chance to make things right.

Kakashi had believed him.

When both ninja woke the next morning they could see from the light at the entrance to the cave that it was going to be a fine day, clear and sunny. Iruka was feeling more lively and even Kakashi was much improved and had regained some physical energy.

The first thing the chuunin did was to inspect Kakashi's wound. The ANBU chided him gently for fussing over him but was secretly touched at his concern. He liked this chuunin. He had spirit and was an individual who took his responsibilities seriously.

"Well, it looks a lot better this morning. I think you must have managed to remove the kunai before it administered the full dose of poison. How are you feeling?" Iruka asked.

"I think I've broken the worst of the fever. The wound's going to sting for a while, then itch like hell, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to live now," Kakashi's looked up at the chuunin, his eye curving just very slightly, as though attempting a tentative smile, a small gesture of friendliness. "How about you? Has your chakra returned?"

"Physically I feel a lot better but I tried to perform a simple jutsu before you woke up and it wasn't really happening. I still have some time to go before I'm up to full strength. It'll be longer for you, I suppose."

Kakashi nodded. He had tried to use the sharingan a number of times during the night and it was still completely out of action. He was feeling drained and exhausted but, stubborn as ever, he was determined to start on the road to recovery.

"Right, I think we should go out and forage for more food," declared Iruka. "If you are up to it," he added quickly.

"You're pretty bossy, who put you in charge?" Kakashi retorted.

Iruka shrank back immediately, eyes open wide with concern and he held his hands up in a friendly gesture. "I - I'm sorry. I didn't intend to take over. It's absolutely fine – really - I'm happy to do whatever you say."

Kakashi's eye curved again. "I was only joking. You're right. Now would be the best time to get more food. I have a feeling that it's going to be a little while before we can leave this place."

Iruka's face lit up and he grinned.

"Well, I guess I've got more energy than you, so I'll climb to the cliff-top to fetch more plants. I'll try and get enough to last us a few days. I agree that we'll probably be out of action for a while yet. The cave's nice and dry so we shouldn't have any storage problems. Will you scour the beach? We need more driftwood. You'll find the best sort at the far end of the beach. The tide carries it along to that headland over there. And if the sea has brought in anything useful, we could use some more containers for food or cooking. I suggest that you also get some more seaweed from the rock pools. It's really nutritious. I left some carrageen out to dry a couple of days ago so we could probably boil that up soon and make some jelly – it's really delicious. We don't have any sugar, so it wouldn't be sweet, but I have a few ideas to add flavour and reckon it would taste just fine, don't you think? I wouldn't gather any shellfish yet if I were you - we can search for those nearer the time we decide to eat so that they are really fresh. It would be terrible if we both got food poisoning because the shellfish had gone bad in the sun. Can you fish at all?"

Kakashi couldn't help chuckling to himself as Iruka gabbled out a list of instructions.

"Right, chief. Whatever you say."

Iruka blushed slightly, then realised that the ANBU was teasing him. He grinned and scampered towards the front of the cave in order search for more edible plants on the cliff tops.

However, as he arrived at the leafy foliage dangling over the opening of the cavern he realised that the tide was right in, the water lapping gently at the brink of the entrance. It was going to be impossible for Iruka to reach the cliff path along the beach.

The chuunin's face lit up.

"Change of plan, I know what I'm gonna do."

He tore off his clothes and ran into the sea. He gasped as the coldness of the water made contact with his tanned skin but that didn't stop him. As soon as he was waist deep, he dived in, ducking beneath the gently undulating waves and began to swim away strongly.

Kakashi watched as the chuunin swam from the shore. It had been many years since he'd been bathing in the sea. He tore off his clothes and followed Iruka. He was sure the salt water would have a beneficial effect on his wound and he was determined that he should get as much exercise as he could – within reason – as it was so important to maintain his physical fitness. He set a significantly more sedate pace than the chuunin's exuberant rate but it was good to bathe.

Eventually Kakashi caught up with Iruka who was bobbing in the water a few hundred metres out to sea. Kakashi knew the beach very well, particularly the topography below the surface when the tide was in, and he was also aware of any currents, so he knew that they were safe to swim in that bay. He was vaguely aware that Iruka might have caught sight of him without his mask when he was sick with fever, but nevertheless wanted to maintain some degree of anonymity, so made sure that his mouth and chin remained below the surface of the water, which amused his companion.

They bathed for an hour or so, just splashing in the water, taking in the warmth of the morning sun. It was wonderfully relaxing for both of them after the chakra drain from their encounter with the Iwa ninja. Eventually they swam ashore when the tide had receded far enough to leave enough coastline for Kakashi to forage upon and a clear route up to the cliff path for Iruka. They both felt thoroughly invigorated as they reached the beach once more, wading through the small splashes of wavelets lapping against the shingle then stepping onto the warm, soft sand. They had nothing to dry themselves off with, so Iruka decided to go for a run towards the headland, turning away to run along the shoreline. Just a gentle jog, nothing too strenuous. Kakashi was tired so he found himself a warm rock to lie on and basked in the sunshine. The warmth of the sun on his face felt good. He watched lazily as the naked chuunin ran along the sandy shoreline. He had dressed and replaced his mask well before Iruka returned and dressed himself.

Afterwards, they went off separately to forage for food.

When the chuunin returned from the cliff top, he found that Kakashi had already started a fire just outside the cave entrance. The older man seemed a little bit agitated but Iruka didn't push him to talk. He had already figured out that the ANBU was a very private person and if he had wanted to volunteer any information he would have done so.

Iruka would have laughed if he had known the real reason for Kakashi's irritation. The ANBU had had to start the fire using conventional methods. He had spent ages rubbing the stick against the fireboard to get the friction to generate enough heat to light the tinder. It was immensely frustrating for him. He'd been able to start fires in seconds from a very early age having learned fire based jutsu techniques as a boy. Having to resort to traditional methods because he didn't have enough chakra was unbelievably frustrating for him.

Kakashi had found some more cooking vessels on the beach – tin cans and a couple of old metal containers which would be perfect for cooking with. He had washed them all out carefully and started boiling up some fresh water from the cliff side waterfall in the tin cans. Iruka handed him some dandelion leaves and flowers he had collected and the ANBU added them to the boiling water, letting them infuse for a few minutes. Then the Leaf shinobi sat together in the sun and enjoyed their tea.

"So, how did you know about this beach?" Iruka enquired of Kakashi.

"I was here during the war. My sensei was Namikaze Minato and our cell had a mission that required us to infiltrate deep into Iwa territory. We found this area by accident. My team were holed up here for a few days before we set out on our mission. Its location is ideal as it's only a few hours' run to the main Iwa towns but it's really secluded and no one seems to know about it."

Iruka was impressed. "You fought in the war?"

Kakashi nodded.

"And your sensei was really the Fourth Hokage?"

Kakashi gave a wry smile. He pulled down his mask and sipped at his dandelion tea, neatly shielding his face from view with the tin can as he did so. It was piping hot, too hot to drink really, but it tasted good. It had an earthy, herby flavour. He replaced his mask.

"Wow, that's amazing. Tell me, what was he like?" Iruka found it fascinating that the ANBU had had such an interesting career. He wanted to get to know this shinobi. He owed him such a very great debt – not only had he disobeyed a direct order and not assassinated the chuunin, he had saved his life and believed his story. He hoped that he might begin to break down the barrier that Kakashi had clearly constructed in attempt to maintain his privacy.

Kakashi sighed. He really didn't want to talk about Minato or his past or anything at all to this cheerful chuunin. His feelings were his own. He was still coming to terms with losing Rin, the last of Team Minato, and it hurt his soul even to think about it. But he wouldn't let himself give in to emotion, it was not the shinobi way. Better just to answer the question straight.

"Minato sensei was the most naturally talented ninja I have ever come across. He was the person I respected most in this world." Kakashi felt uncomfortable letting out this much of his true feelings about Minato to this relative stranger. Sure, Kakashi liked the chuunin, but wasn't planning on giving him a life history any time soon.

"Do you miss him?"

Kakashi really didn't want to go there. "Yes," was all he could say. The words were barely audible.

"I lost my parents in the Nine Tails' attack." The chuunin fought to contain his emotions as he spoke these words. It happened many years ago and yet the pain still burned. But he knew the shinobi code all too well and, even though he still endured moments when the hurt from his loss got too much and he let out his feelings privately, he was damned if he was going to show it in front of the ANBU

Kakashi didn't really know how to respond. A lot of people had died that night. A lot of people had died during the war. A lot of people had died since. It was what being a shinobi was all about.

"I'm sorry." That was what he was supposed to say.

Iruka nodded, grateful for what he perceived to be sympathy. He changed the subject.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty one."

"You're not much older than me but you fought in the war? And how come I don't ever remember seeing you at the Academy?"

"I was fast-tracked."

"What was the war like?"

"What is this? T&I?"

Kakashi sounded more irritable than he had intended to but Iruka backed off immediately. "Sorry," he whispered. "I only wanted to get to know you better. You know, seeing as we're stuck with each other for the next few days."

Kakashi nodded to acknowledge his apology but didn't say anything. He sipped at his tea, observing Iruka carefully through his half-lidded eye. It was clear to Kakashi that the chuunin had an abundance of energy and enthusiasm. The questions weren't irritating, banal or inane, it seemed as though Iruka was genuinely interested in getting to know him. But the ANBU had always maintained an air of caution when it came to giving out any information about himself, particularly with a stranger, even one from Konoha. Giving the impression of being aloof was a defence mechanism he had cultivated over many years and it was designed to protect him. He needed it more than ever now that Rin was gone.

But Kakashi didn't remain silent. He had a few questions of his own. He was impressed at Iruka's determination to recover the scroll and clear his name, so he wanted to know more about the Iwa ninja.

"They were a really nasty bunch. I learned about what they do. They are basically state sanctioned bandits, who patrol Earth territory, challenging any non-Iwa shinobi they come across. They are really horrible. I hated every moment that I had to be with them. They told me that they had recently captured and killed a Konoha kunoichi."

Kakashi's eyes widened, his body tensed and he took a sharp intake of breath. He leaned across and gripped Iruka's wrist tightly. This gesture was highly unusual for the ANBU, he normally steered clear of physical contact if he could avoid it. "What do you know about this?" he hissed, in a demanding tone.

Iruka pulled his wrist away, frowning. "You really don't want to know."

"Oh I think I do. In fact, I know I do." Kakashi's voice was dangerously low and very insistent. Iruka noticed that it was the closest the ANBU had come to any display of emotion.

"Okay, I will tell you. But you won't like what you are about to hear." Iruka's voice was slightly hesitant.

Kakashi shook his head slightly to indicate that he did want to hear what the chuunin had to say. He closed his eyes and prepared himself to hear an account of what had happened. He felt sick to the core but steeled himself. He was utterly determined not to show any emotion to the chuunin.

Iruka took a deep breath. He had heard the tale from Okojo, one of Kemono's lackeys, a young ninja who was pretty new to the gang and wasn't very competent, Iruka had later come to learn. He was all about the talk and no action, always lurking in the background until he could muscle in on whatever exploits that the mob had devised without any risk to himself.

Okojo told Iruka that the gang had chanced upon a Konoha kunoichi just a few days before they had captured Iruka's team. They were located on the other side of the Shaku range at the time, well into Earth territory. They had spent a typical evening together drinking and gambling, betting on whom they were next going to capture and from which shinobi nation.

It turned out that they had drunk far, far more than they had expected to and, one by one, had succumbed to a sozzled snooze as the remnants of the evening turned into dusk and dusk into a dark and silent night. Their camp fire had extinguished itself.

Apparently the kunoichi had come across them earlier that evening on her way back from her mission but had not been noticed and had wisely retreated from them. Like all Konoha shinobi had been taught, she waited through the night until she could make her move to get back home in the small hours of the morning, just before dawn. She would have made it too. She was clever and had successfully bypassed all the traps the Iwa ninja had set in order to be alerted to the presence of any enemy shinobi.

But she had been unlucky. The Iwa ninja had eaten a vast meal the night before and had had way too much to drink. The sounds of them sleeping would have disgusted anyone, although Okojo had always found it amusing to tell Iruka all about the snoring and farting and general slovenliness of the Iwa gang. Unfortunately, Kemono started snoring particularly loudly as the kunoichi passed by, a raucous noise that echoed around the canyon, disturbing some of the eagles that had been nesting in the crags above the camp. The birds flew off, squawking loudly as they did so while loosening small pebbles from the rocks above, causing them to tumble into the valley below. These pebbles then triggered one of the Iwa ninjas' traps, instantly waking Kemono and the gang from their slumber.

Apparently she froze and masked her chakra instantly. But it was no use. As Iruka knew all too well from his own experience, Kemono's chakra perception was unrivalled and he detected her presence immediately.

She then ran, as fast as she was able, and was making a good escape, good enough to out run most shinobi, but she had no idea that the big, bald brute had the power to drain her energy, sap her chakra and bring her to her knees in a matter of seconds.

The Iwa ninja were delighted to have captured a kunoichi, particularly one from Konoha. They had all woken up feeling horny – as usual - and, instead of having to jerk themselves off, well…

Iruka was finding it increasingly difficult to continue this story. He had hated hearing it from Okojo, but somehow relaying it to a Leaf comrade made him feel even worse. His voice had become increasingly quiet as he repeated the story, the boast, that he had heard from the Iwa.

"Go on…" Kakashi's voice was ice cold but absolutely insistent.

Iruka shuddered. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. "They drained her of her chakra and, well, they all took her…"

He couldn't continue. He looked up at Kakashi. The ANBU's body was rigid and his eyes wide open. It was so hard for Iruka to determine his feelings – rage? fury? hatred? sadness? - from his expression.

"Finish the story," Kakashi hissed with an air of urgency.

Iruka's voice was, by now, barely audible. "She fought. Even with her chakra drained, as each forced himself upon her, she tried to defend herself. To the best of her ability, with every fibre of her being. Apparently she inflicted wounds on many of them as they each abused her."

Kakashi's face was ashen. He couldn't not believe what he was hearing. Iruka continued, his voice a mere whisper.

"And afterwards they killed her. They left her there. All her energy was stolen from her, she was drained of her chakra."

It was clear to the chuunin that Kakashi needed a further explanation. He elaborated.

"Apparently Kemono decided that if they let her go, she might get back to Konoha and tell the Leaf authorities what had happened to her. It would cause all sorts of trouble between our two countries, and could potentially restart active hostilities. I mean we've been enemies with Iwa for as long as anyone can remember but not actively at war for many years. He decided that it would be best if no one should ever find out what they had really done to her, so he killed her. Ignited those sparkling eyes, drained her completely and watched as her life just faded away."

Kakashi closed his eyes.

Iruka was shifting uncomfortably as he relayed the tale. He was desperately trying to gauge what the ANBU was thinking, how he was feeling. He could tell that there was something more to this than just a loyalty to Konoha, more than simply sorrow at a Leaf kunoichi's demise. He was incredibly intuitive and he speculated that the name that Kakashi had cried out in his feverish sleep might have some connection to this story.

Kakashi didn't say a word. He was stony-faced and his expression remained blank as the chuunin relayed the story that he had heard. The ANBU simply sat there, focussed and calm as he absorbed every single word that Iruka spoke. The only clue the chuunin had to assess how important this was to Kakashi was that his normally half-lidded eye was wide open.

When Iruka had finished repeating the tale, Kakashi focussed his gaze intently upon the chuunin. He had a question that needed answering. It would determine this chuunin's future. Whether he should help him or kill him. The ANBU was absolutely prepared for either eventuality.

Kakashi's voice was barely audible as he asked in a monotone. "You were part of their gang for a while. Did you play any part in this?"

Iruka was horrified. "Of course not! I heard it second hand. It happened before they captured me. I was shocked and disgusted to hear them boast about what they had done. If I had been with them at the time I would have tried to help her in any way I could have. I am loyal to Konoha but please, please believe me when I say that I would never have wanted to witness that happen to anyone, let alone take part. I am appalled at what they did."

Kakashi nodded, his expression grim.

Iruka continued, a fierce expression upon his face. "Kakashi, if I had been there, believe me, Konoha kunoichi or any kunoichi, any woman, any person, I would have done everything in my power to prevent it happening."

Kakashi lowered his eyes. He took a deep, deep breath and exhaled very, very slowly. He was desperately trying to contain his emotions. He had known that his best friend had suffered a hideous demise, but somehow hearing it from someone who had a connection – however tenuous - to those who were responsible for such a reprehensible crime made it so much worse. He gritted his teeth and fought hard to bury his feelings. He wanted to punch Iruka's lights out, not because Iruka was at fault, but because he was the closest person to the perpetrators that he knew.

Iruka was a sensitive man and also intuitive. He cared deeply about other peoples' feelings and sensed that there was more to this than Kakashi simply wanting to hear the story about the sad demise of a Konoha shinobi. Somehow this felt much more personal, which made it all the more tragic.

He could hardly bring himself to raise the subject, but he absolutely needed to know. His voice was soft and the expression in his wide brown eyes sincere as he whispered, "I have the most horrid feeling that that was your friend Rin, wasn't it? The one you were dreaming about?"

Kakashi closed his eyes. He didn't say a word. He didn't need to. The barest hint of his head nodding spoke volumes to the chuunin.

Iruka continued, "I am so, so sorry. If I had known I would never have told you such details." He paused briefly. "Did you love her very much?"

Kakashi glanced up at the chuunin, noting the look of concern in his eyes.

"She was not my lover. She was my best friend and my team mate," he said in a monotone. "I loved her as a sister."

He paused and considered what he was about to say because like it or not, he was about to reveal something about himself that, in normal circumstances, he would never, ever have admitted.

"I don't believe that I have anyone else left in this world that I care for."

This saddened Iruka enormously. He had suffered his own terrible loss as a child, but he had so many friends in Konoha, so many people that he loved and friends who loved him. He couldn't bear to see how distressed this ANBU was, how much he was suffering inside, even though he steadfastly refused to show any sign of it. He reached out to touch Kakashi's hand. He squeezed it gently and looked directly into the ANBU's eyes, nodding his head slightly, his wide brown eyes expressing as much sympathy as he could convey.

Words were not necessary.

Words would have been inadequate.

Iruka recognised that Kakashi was grieving. And yet, as a shinobi, he wasn't allowed to mourn. Not properly. Both Obito and Minato had died fighting for Konoha. That was horrible, but it was a fundamental part of shinobi life. But for Rin to have been tortured and killed in such a hideous way was more wrong than anything he could possibly imagine.


End file.
